Innocent
by VFSNAKE
Summary: Luke is accused of being an Imperial spy after the events of Bespin due to his time in absence and is interrogated for it by Madine in a very Imperial like fashion. Vader senses his son's pain and has sent the Noghri to retrieve him.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1-Family Crisis

Luke didn't know how long he had been bound in cuffs with his right prosthetic hand disabled by the tech team before hand and sedated in a cell. One moment, he was on the medical frigate with Leia after what happened with his Fath...with Vader on Bespin, and then next he was in a prison cell without any explanation or any visitors allowed. When Luke had asked a guard why he was even in a prison cell, the guard just looked at him with hate in his eyes, and then back to staring at the wall across from him.

'How did this happen? _Why _did this happen?' thought Luke, as he fought of the sedative they gave him, and reached out to the Force for some kind of answer.

While the Force was there, the answer was unfortunately...not!

(_Home One_ Alliance Council Room)

"How dare you put Luke in a prison cell?! Who the hell do you think you are?" said Leia, as she had never been more upset like since Bespin, and even then she was given a valid reason for it by Lando.

Oh how she wished to have Chewie with her right now so he could tear off the limbs of the one she was screaming at right now.

"We have to put him there Leia, as we believe that Luke maybe a spy for the Empire, and one that is _directly _under the command of Vader himself," said Mon Mothma, as she had seen the evidence Crix Madine had given her while they were on the run since Hoth, and the fact that Skywalker was AWOL during that time when several key bases had been attacked proved to make him a likely suspect.

"A _spy_! How much Juma have you all been drinking? Darth Vader cut off Luke's _hand_ less then a week ago on Bespin while he was trying to save me and the others from the Empire," said Leia, as she saw Admiral Ackbar look at the report Leia had given, and saw that was the case with Luke receiving several other injuries with the loss of the hand being the worst.

"But what about where Commander Skywalker was _before_ that when the rest of us were all heading to meet at the rendezvous point during the time he went AWOL? 3 _Months_ unaccounted for and the loss of several key bases for the Alliance, which the man was at during his time with us. Care to explain _that_ to me Princess Organa?" said Madine, as he glared back at Leia, and she returned it though she couldn't answer since she was heavily pursued by Vader for most of her time after Hoth.

"We were all running from the Empire after our defeat at Hoth and I myself was chased by Vader with Han Solo during that time," said Leia, as she saw some of the Alliance Council members nod at that since they themselves had a few close calls, and had on several occasions had to scramble from standard Alliance protocols.

"Be as that may Leia, there is also still the matter of Commander Skywalker's..._special abilities_ that makes us further question whether he is entirely loyal to the Alliance, and that he is indeed the son of the Jedi," said Mon Mothma, who ignored Madine's snort at the mention of the Jedi, and Leia's glare at him for it.

"The Jedi. The Sith. Ha! A bunch of sorcerers that are nothing more then a menace on the Galaxy ever since they were founded. If it were up to me, I would wipe out everyone that has a connection to this 'Force' nonsense, and leave the Galaxy to _normal_ people," said Madine, as he had seen the Galaxies bloody history with the Jedi fighting the Sith, and the destruction they created.

"So Luke could be loyal to us without question, but because he can do things just like the Jedi, you would have him locked away rather then let him develop his skills, and then use them against Vader?" said Leia, as she had seen a sample of Vader's power, and to a degree she saw Luke's with him doing some form of Force training when he wasn't on patrol at Echo Base.

"And what's to stop him from learning the Sith Arts Princess Organa. History is filled with Jedi that became Sith before they create suffering and bring misery to everyone around them," said Madine, as he felt that anyone with Force potential regardless of what side they took was an abomination.

"Perhaps if you kept a much more open mind about what Luke could do for the Alliance then maybe we won't have to worry about him ever becoming a Sith," said Leia, as she was tired of this from the start, and wanted her friend freed from his cell now!

"So we should make him happy so he doesn't get angry? We have him locked up, we have him sedated, and I intend to find out just what he knows about the Alliance that he's told Vader," said Madine, as he had every intention of interrogating Skywalker to the fullest extent, and learn just what it was that gave him the connection to the Force.

"We are not the Empire!" said Leia, as she could feel the man's desire to tear into Luke like an Imperial Interrogator, and she was not about to have her friend face that.

Not after fighting Vader.

_Especially_ after fighting Vader.

"No were not Leia, but in order to prevent a possible spy while we continue to gather the entire fleet, we must make sure that Skywalker is detained, and be interrogated _within reason_ to see if he is indeed an Imperial spy," said Mon Mothma, as she saw Leia look at her disbelievingly, and understood why Leia was so hesitant after what happened with the first Death Star that Luke destroyed.

"What of Rogue Squadron? They respect the man for leading them through so many engagements. I doubt they will believe that Skywalker is an Imperial spy," said Ackbar, as he had seen Skywalker's piloting skills, and the Mon Calamari had to admit it was very impressive.

"As far as they know, Skywalker is recovering on the medical frigate, and cannot be seen do to the various injuries he's suffered at the hands of Vader," said Madine, as he was going to keep the boy looking like a hero until the time came to reveal him as the villain, and reorganize the unit.

"You sound like you're back in the Empire Madine. How do we know you're not a spy," said Leia, as she glared at the man, and the former Imperial glared back.

"Enough! The decision is made. Madine will lead the interrogation, but Leia can stop by to make sure that nothing will get out of hand, and keep things civil," said Mon Mothma, as she saw the anger between the two, and did not need the Alliance attacking each other.

Leia calmed down, but the anger at Madine did not leave her eyes, and made sure she had at least one informant on that interrogation team to inform of her of Madine's actions.

(_The Executor-_3 Days Later)

Darth Vader sat in his mediation pod, as he had done for nearly 20 years in being a Sith Lord, and reached out to the Force to find his son. Ever since Bespin, Vader had been able to feel a bond between himself, and his son that he had battled there in a Lightsaber duel.

A duel that Vader won.

A duel where Vader cut off Luke's right hand.

His _son's_ hand.

'That wasn't my fault! If only Luke had just surrendered to me in the beginning he would be by my side, the Emperor would be overthrown in a span of a few years, and together we would rule the Galaxy in bringing true peace to the Empire. Not like now with the Emperor trying to build his _second_ Death Star, as he tries to destroy the Alliance with it when it was complete, and then use it on any planet that doesn't obey his rule,' thought Vader, as he had hated that first damn creation, and this second one was no better if not worse since it was _twice_ the size of the first one.

His inner musings on the matter ended when he felt his son's presence, but before a smile could appear on his scarred face, it became a frown, as he sensed his son was in pain, and not from his injuries. They were healed, of that Vader was sure, but what bothered him was that new _inner_ pain was around Luke too, and it was not at all related to their _family_ connection.

Reaching further into the Force, Vader felt the area around Luke while using his master over the Force, and Luke's current sedation that weakened his defenses enough to learn that his son was in a prison cell. A prison cell of all places for his son to be after all the boy had done for them and for a moment Vader wondered if their family connection had been discovered somehow? It was possible, as information no matter how far back it was could be retrieved, and someone could have found a way to link them together.

'What are you doing inside my head Vader?' thought Luke, as he sensed the Sith Lord's presence in his mind, and even with sedation could feel the Dark Lord connecting with him.

Vader himself was surprised his son had even sensed him given the condition the boy was in, but then again the boy was a Skywalker, and the bond they had through the Force was not going to let Luke ignore his Father.

Even if the boy didn't want to admit Vader was his Father.

'Trying to protect you my son. I sensed you were in pain. Why is that?' thought Vader, as he felt his son flinch at being called his son, and the Sith Lord knew Luke had yet to fully embrace it.

'It's none of your concern,' thought Luke, as he tried to block Vader from his being, and failed to do so when the Sith Lord pressed further in wanting to know the situation.

'When my son is in an Alliance prison cell it becomes my concern,' thought Vader, as he felt Luke get angry at that, and while Vader wanted his son angry...he would prefer it wasn't aimed at him.

'You seemed to be really concerned for me when you cut off my hand or tried to freeze me in carbonite like you did Han!' thought Luke, as he was told what had become of Han, and how the room he first fought Vader in was the room where it happened.

'I was caught up in the battle with you when that happened. It was regrettable,' thought Vader, as he sensed Luke feel surprised by that, and wondered if it was really a surprise for either of them.

'I'm being held prisoner because they think I'm a spy for you. One of the few spies that reports _directly_ to you,' thought Luke, as he laughed at that, and Vader smiled at the sheer stupidity of the Rebels for thinking like that.

'Because of the time you were gone after the battle in the Hoth system,' thought Vader, as he had been trying to find Luke during that time, and hunted the Princess in order to get to the boy in the process.

'Yeah. They asked me a few questions while I was sedated. When I didn't respond they began knocking me around, but Madine had to stop because Leia came in quickly to make sure the good General played nice,' thought Luke, as he laughed again, and sensed Vader was smiling at that too since Madine didn't get to play rough with his prisoner.

'If I told you that I could rescue you from the Alliance and bring you over to the Empire would you join me?" said Vader, as he sensed Luke was conflicted in this, and that he believed that this was all one big misunderstanding with Alliance Command being extra careful.

'I'm not an Imperial and I'm not a spy. Once I'm cleared we will continue where we left off in being enemies. Stay away from me and stay out of my head,' thought Luke, as he began closing the connection between each other, and Vader wanting to say one more thing to him.

'I'll respect your wishes for now son, but make no mistake when I tell you that there is a dark cloud surrounding your Rebel Alliance, and it is centering on you. Should things get too dangerous, I trust you will contact me, and if not I will do so to make sure you can understand the seriousness of your situation,' thought Vader, as he broke away from his son before Luke could protest being his son, which was something the boy had yet to do, and Vader sensed that Luke was trying to understand things in his life even when they were swirling around him too fast to see.

Just like Vader did when he was younger and more naïve in his youth.

(With Luke)

Luke found himself being shoved into a room with Madine and another Rebel under the man's command from the Special Ops unit the General ran in the Alliance. The man in front of him that was Madine looked at him, as if he was an enemy, or at the very least a traitor to the Alliance. Sitting down in the chair before him, Luke wondered if any of the other members of the Alliance that scattered after the battle at Hoth were treated this way, and the Force told him that was not the case considering the waves of hate coming off of Madine.

"Hey General. You run out of recruits to terrorize so you go after veteran pilots now?" said Luke, as he could keep the sedative still in his body from messing with his train of thought, and still make it look like he was under it's influence.

Madine however, was less then impressed, and seemed to snarl from what Luke could make out from the man's impression of being something sinister, and after what recently happened with Vader...it wasn't very impressive.

"You may find this funny Skywalker, but the Alliance High Command does not, and we have questions that need answering from you," said Madine, as he saw Luke raise an eyebrow since the young Jedi in training had come under the assumption that there was nothing to tell.

Well...nothing that Luke himself would say to make the Alliance want to crucify him anyway.

"I told you everything the day before General. Why else is there to say?" said Luke, as he didn't understand why the General couldn't see he wasn't the bad guy here, and leave him alone.

"Other then the fact that I believe you lied and that you are secretly an Imperial spy that reports directly to Vader?" said Madine, as he saw Luke look at him like he was insane, and wondered if the sedative had any effect on the boy.

"You do realize I lost my hand recently because of Vader right?" said Luke, as he raised his limp right hand that was now artificial, and the good General was not impressed.

"You could have delivered to him some bad Intel on us, which caused him to discipline you in taking your hand off, and make it look like you fought him only to _miraculously_ escape," said Madine, as there were only a handful of people that could escape Darth Vader, and Luke was currently one of them.

Though escape is something Madine wouldn't use in this case.

"You're wasting your time General and mine for that matter. I'm not a spy and until you show some actual proof, I think I'm going to leave, and head back to my quarters," said Luke, as rose from his chair, and was going to turn around to leave before he was shoved back down in his chair by the man behind him.

"I intend to get information out of you Skywalker, though it won't be considered Alliance standards since all of Vader's personal spies that report to him are tough nuts to crack," said Madine, as he nodded to the man behind him, and the officer stabbed Luke with a stun baton making the boy arch his back in pain.

"This is against Alliance High Commands policies!" said Luke, as he was hit again, and he yelped in pain from the stun baton hitting his spine.

"Vader's spies are well versed in dealing with _normal_ Alliance interrogation methods so I find resorting to old _Imperial_ methods to be more effective. Hit him again!" said Madine, as the officer behind Luke hit him with the stun baton again, and made Luke cry out in pain.

"Alliance High Command wouldn't authorize this kind of interrogation," said Luke, as sensed the next hit about to come, and dodged it before elbowing the guard away.

"Resisting only further proves your guilty Skywalker," said Madine, as he saw the officer behind him ready to draw his blaster, and Luke trying to stand better after all those hits to the spine.

"Then perhaps you would like to have a few hits to your body while I go accuse you of being a traitor to the Alliance before you shove me away," said Luke, as he did not need to be banged up by Madine anymore then he needed Vader telling him that he was his Father.

"Here is how it's going to work Skywalker. Either you tell us what we want to know or my men will use more then stun batons on you in order to get you to talk," said Madine, as he had made sure Princess Organa's little "spy" she had assigned to his interrogation team get a stomach virus, and become absent for these proceedings.

"I don't know anything! I'm not one of Vader's spies. The man killed my Father. I have nothing to gain in serving him," said Luke, as he kept his eyes on the two armed men in the room while Madine acted perfectly calm, but serious all the same, and let out a sigh at the boy's reluctance to speak the truth to him.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Darth Vader may have killed your Father like you claim that he did, but everyone has a price Skywalker, and for you with your 'Force' I would say it is a way to master that sorcery nonsense," said Madine, as he then eyed his officer in front of Luke, and nodded before the officer with the stun baton went to move to strike only for Luke to kick the chair him to make the guard fall over.

Now the guard behind Madine pulled his blaster out and the safety was off.

"I didn't seek Vader out to master my power. I can't become a fully trained Jedi if I'm under the command of a Sith Lord, now can I?" said Luke, as he felt his anger growing rapidly, and tried to keep it under control.

"So why is it that you won't tell Alliance High Command where you were during those 3 standard Months?" said Madine, as he wanted answers, and by his family's honor he was going to get them.

"I went to see an old Jedi Master," said Luke, as he had explained this to Leia, but now it seemed he had to tell Madine now in order to get this guy off his back, and clear himself of whatever had tainted his reputation within the Alliance.

"An old Jedi Master? Who is he? Where is he? Take us to him so we can pick him up and help us fight the Empire!" said Madine, as he had no love for Sith or the Jedi, but here was his chance to use a Jedi Master, and have the individual pull their weight in this war.

"He's too old to move and I'm not telling you because any spies from the Empire might find out before telling the Emperor. Or Vader for that matter," said Luke, as he had no intention of giving Yoda's name out to Madine, and the location of the planet the old Jedi Master was on.

"A likely excuse Skywalker, but it's not good enough! Now tell me the name of the Jedi Master and the location of the planet he is on so we can retrieve him or else I'll declare you an Imperial spy right now! Do you know what we do with spies like you Skywalker? Depending on how far up the chain you are we go from imprisonment to execution and since you report to Vader I say you rank up their in execution," said Madine, as he had all the ammo he needed to make the Alliance believe Luke was a spy, and they would have to keep the boy locked up until more answers were obtained.

"I'm not a spy for Vader and I'm not telling you where the Jedi Master that was teaching me is!" said Luke, as he had just had about enough of this, and wanted to leave the room to get back to his so he could rest.

"If that is your official position, then so be it. Lieutenant! Please place Commander Skywalker under arrest for the suspicion of being an Imperial spy and keep him some place where he can't do harm to himself or others," said Madine, as he motioned for the man with the blaster to take Luke away, and the officer behind Luke had restraint cuffs already in his hands to bind Luke.

"What? Madine, have you lost your mind?!" said Luke, as he had both his hands placed behind his back, and had them cuffed while the second officer kept his blaster steady on him.

"Not at all. Now get this Imperial scum out of my sight," said Madine, as he saw Luke try to resist only to be hit with another stun baton to the stomach, and then one to the skull to make the boy become knocked out.

'This can't be happening. Why?' thought Luke, as his mind fell into darkness with the Force echoing his pain through the stars, and to one Darth Vader.

(_The Executor_-The Bridge)

Darth Vader's eyes behind his metal mask snapped open, as he felt the echo of his son's pain, and knew something was wrong now. Reaching out through the Force, Vader felt his son screaming out in pain, as he went through Madine's form of interrogation, which wasn't much different from Imperial standards, but from what Vader could determine, it was something that was unwarranted upon his son, and it made the Sith Lord's blood boil.

'I didn't expect this so soon. I cannot let them hurt my son to get to me even when they do not know the family connection. I feared this might happen. Do not worry my son. I will not leave you at the mercy of these wolves,' thought Vader, as he turned to face his most trusted, and still alive Admiral to date.

"What are your orders my Lord," said Admiral Piett, as he had seen the signs of Darth Vader about to give orders, and prepared for whatever the Dark Lord would order him to do.

"Contact the Noghri. I have a mission for them of the utmost importance and it requires their most cunning warriors," said Vader, as he saw the man straighten at this information in using the Noghri since they were used on only the most _sensitive_ cases, and for Darth Vader to call upon their services now would mean one had come up.

"It will be done right away Lord Vader," said Piett, as he took the code frequency for that Noghri, and went to the communication station on the bridge needed to contact Darth Vader's personal assassins for a task only they could perform.

"My Lord, the Emperor had made just made contact, and demands to speak with you at once," said a communications officer sitting at a terminal next to Piett.

"Send it to my personal communications room. I will speak with the Emperor there," said Vader, as he left the bridge, and hoped that his son was all right.

(Vader's Personal Communications Room)

The Dark Lord of the Sith knelt before the holographic form of his Master that was the Emperor, who looked at him with a seriousness that had not been there in years, and Vader wondered what it was that made the Emperor look at him with such seriousness?

"What is thy bidding my Master?" said Vader, as he awaited his command from the Emperor, and sensed the man was narrowing his eyes at him slightly.

"I have felt a disturbance in the Force again Lord Vader. Have you been able to retrieve your son like you originally planned?" said the Emperor, as he already knew the answer, but expected an answer from Vader, and possibly some other details that had yet to be mentioned.

"No my Master. My son is very elusive. However, I too have felt the disturbance, and I believe I know the source of it," said Vader, as he looked up, and saw his Master now looking at him with interest.

"He takes after you in many aspects Lord Vader. Not all of them are good. Be mindful of what we are trying to accomplish with him in achieving a new form of control within our Empire. Now tell me what you believe to be the source of this disturbance Lord Vader," said the Emperor, as he knew that his loyal servant was much closer to the source, and would be able to inform him of it.

"It's my son my Master. The Rebels believe he is secretly a spy among their ranks and are currently interrogating him for information to further prove it," said Vader, as he saw the Emperor nod his head at that, and seemed to look off in the distance in thought for a moment.

"The Rebels are greater fools then I thought. I take it you're making preparation to handle this Lord Vader?" said the Emperor, as he knew the man's devotion to his son, and if the boy was in pain would make Vader do everything in his power to save young Skywalker.

"Yes my Master. A team of loyal agents have already been dispatched to deal with this situation," said Vader, as he had set plans in motion to rescue is son even if it meant making it look like the accusations about him being a spy were true, and have his friends turn against him.

"Good. Good. This could benefit us greatly my friend. Rescue young Skywalker from the hands of the Rebels, show him that you are the caring Father he believed so much of in his youth, and show him that the side he is on is not the side he should be on," said the flesh decaying Emperor, who saw his Dark Lord bow his head in understanding, and knew that Vader would succeed in his mission.

"It will be done my Master," said Vader, as he knew that Luke's survival was now his top priority, and would not lose his son to the hands of the Rebels.

With the transmission ending, Vader rose from his kneeled position, and walked out of the special communications room deep in thought. The Noghri he had dispatched were the most elite of his forces, with the most experience, and knew what it meant to follow orders to a letter when given.

Depending on where his son was, Vader was confident the Noghri would find Luke, and rescue him from the Rebels along with the twisted plans that they held for him.

(_Home One_-Interrogation Cell# 33698)

"Tell us what we want to know Skywalker! How long have you been Vader's spy? A few Months? A few years? Tell us!" said Madine, as he motioned for his subordinate to send an electric current through the young Jedi in training, and then the droid on the opposite side ejecting a needle filled with truth serum into his shoulder...without numbing the skin.

"How long do I have to keep telling you? I'm not a spy for Vader and not for the Empire in general!" said Luke, as he had one of his eyes closed from the bleeding cut just above his left eye from all the previous hours worth of interrogation, and felt some blood falling down the side of his mouth from were one of Madine's Special Ops member's punched him.

"You can replay the same old song Skywalker, but I know you are a traitor, and I have more then enough evidence to take you to trial before being sentenced by Alliance High Command. You two take over, I have to be at a tactical meeting, and I can't be late," said Madine, as he ordered another shock into Luke's system, and caused Luke to cry out in pain before the General left the room to deal with other matters he couldn't ignore.

"Perhaps were doing this the wrong way," said the Special Ops officer running the shock machine connected to Luke.

"What do you mean?" said the second Special Ops officer in the room that had given Luke's body a good tenderizing.

"Well...Vader's spies do not seem to have anything here in the Alliance that they would consider to be valuable enough to tell us what we want in exchange, but I think the spy in front of us does, and would gladly confess to keep _her_ safe," said the first Special Ops officer seeing Luke's muscles tense slightly knowing who it was the man was referring to.

"You know, I think you're right, and we should go pay Princess Organa a visit. After what happened with Solo, I think she could use some _special comfort_, and that we could be the two that do that," said the second Special Ops, as he grinned at Luke's showed signs of anger at their words, and motioned for his friend to keep going.

"It won't be that difficult. With the Wookiee gone, Solo now in the hands of a Hutt, and our spy locked away in here the poor Princess will need to have her _needs_ met," said the first Special Ops officer and saw Luke turn his head to glare at him angry blue eyes.

Luke himself didn't know why he was so angry at such a level right now over Leia since he saw her as a friend, though he had to admit the anger was good right now, and was currently burning the drugs pumped into his body out of his system. The image of Vader choking the life out of one of his officers came to Luke's mind and the idea seemed very appealing right now to the young Skywalker's mind knowing he could do it too.

'Just this once I could choke one of them with the Force. Just once is all it would take to shut these two up with one of them paying for it,' thought Luke, as he couldn't decide, which officer to use it on, and his conscious was also trying to tell him not to since that would lead him to the Dark Side.

But would it be so bad right now to use it on these idiots with the brains the size of baby womp rat? IF Vader was his Father, what would the man say right now seeing Luke this way, and would he even approve of using this method that could possibly make their lies about him true?

What was right and what was wrong here?

"So how do you want to do this? Who goes first with the Princess while the other covers with the alibi we were here with him?" said the second Special Ops officer, as he saw the first one think it over, and look away from a now seething in rage Luke.

"Hard to say really. Tell you what, you cover for me first for about...an hour, and I'll let you have her for an additional 30 minutes," said the first Special Ops officer, who still had his back to the two, and awaited his comrades response.

All he got was a gagging sound.

'Die! Die! DIE!' thought Luke, as he couldn't take it anymore, and called upon the Force to strangle the life out of the second Special Ops officer in the room not caring why he was so protective of Leia right now other then the fact he felt _compelled_ to defend her.

"What the Hell?" said the first Special Ops officer, as he saw his comrade fall to his knees choking, and grabbing his throat while trying to gasp for air.

Seeing Luke slumped over in some kind of concentration, the Special Ops officer quickly grabbed the stun baton on the nearby table, and swung it like a club at Luke's head that knocked the man off his chair onto the ground unconscious. Looking back, he saw his comrade breathing deeply while coughing at the feel of air running down his throat, and then back at Skywalker before reaching for his communicator to contact General Madine.

(_The Executor_)

Vader was becoming more worried about his son, as he felt the boy's anger, his very rage from the deepest regions of his being ignite through the Force, and all for the Princess of all people. It was strange that Luke would get so angry over her, as the boy had a great deal of control over his temper, and Vader assumed he got that from his Mother since she was always able to keep her composure no matter the situation. Could his son be in love? No, this was not that kind of love, but love yet all the same, and on some other level that Vader could not see even though he felt he should be able to.

"Lord Vader," said the Noghri team leader Vader had summoned and was now kneeling before him with his unit.

Turning back to the elite team he had assigned this mission, Vader commanded them to rise, and they obeyed without a second hesitation.

"I have an important job for you that requires no form of error in the slightest be made my Noghri warriors, as failure would mean the death of not only you, but my _son_ as well," said Vader, as he saw the Noghri before him stiffen at that, and the Dark Lord knew that putting their skills to the test along with their very pride was something that further inspired this species of warriors to fight harder then any other solider in the Empire.

"What is the mission my Lord?" said the Noghri Leader, as his team was ready, and would do everything in their power to succeed in their mission.

"My son is in the hands of the Rebels, but they do not know his relationship to me, and instead they think he is a spy. Even as I speak before you, they are interrogating my son for information he does not possess, and the one leading the interrogation is _hurting_ my son," said Vader, as the anger in the last part was building just in thinking it, and even to speak those three words in that sentence made the Dark Lord want to reach out with the Force to send some incompetent officer on his ship to their death.

"We will retrieve your son Lord Vader. We swear on our warrior honor to bring him to you alive and in good health," said the Noghri Leader, as his team along with him bowed, and left to fulfill their mission.

'Do not worry my son. Soon you will be my side and together we will end this conflict in one single moment when we destroy the Emperor to bring about a new age of peace that your Mother wanted,' thought Vader, as he closed his eyes, and reached out to the Force, and felt his son healing from his injuries from his last interrogation.

(_Home One_-Alliance Council Room)

"You did what?!" said Leia, as she was so outraged by Madine's interrogation without her being told, and the rest of the Council was sharing her outrage.

"I interrogated Commander Skywalker about his connection to the Empire and after a brief recess I came back to find that one of my officers had nearly choked to death. Does that sound like someone _else_ we know of?" said Madine, as he knew that Skywalker's actions would further prove his claim, and keep some of the outraged from doing such a harsh interrogation by Alliance standards on the young Commander.

"An interrogation that was not sanction on this kind of level that you used by us in the slightest," said Admiral Ackbar, as he had problems with several Imperial defectors that went to the interrogation department of the Alliance, and them stating that the Alliance should use harsher methods.

"If word gets out about this to the other Alliance members, there could be a considerable form of backlash, and may have people believe we're becoming corrupt like the Empire," said Mon Mothma, as Luke was a noticeable figure in the Alliance, and to do this to him would leave a blemish on them that could not be removed.

"We must have Luke removed from his holding cell immediately!" said Leia, as she saw several members of Alliance High Command nod their heads, and saw Madine scowl at her.

"I'm not done interrogating him. The fact he used a skill similar to our enemy proves he is Vader's spy," said Madine, as he saw some of the members go deep in thought, and saw that some of them agreed with him.

"Considering what was said by several of your officers interrogating him, I would have done worse, and they should be put away for what they said," said Leia, as she felt that Luke was defending her from what the holo-recording showed to be a horrible things the officers said.

"They will be reprimanded I assure you, but for now, I think the scare that Skywalker has given them is enough for now, and we begin focusing on other important matters like the rumor of a new weapon the Emperor is developing," said Madine, as he wanted to keep his men away from punishment, and keep them from answering questions.

Something that would further instill their loyalty to him.

(A Few Days Later-Over the planet Ryloth)

Luke struggled to breath a little in his bed onboard the medical frigate, as the two skilled interrogators that Madine had sent from before had been replaced shortly after what had happened to the one officer, and these guys had stressed the point on a physical nature to make sure that he didn't do that again. Now here he was, the great hero Commander Luke Skywalker, destroyer of the Death Star, and Jedi in training lying in the med bay after being beaten to a bloody pulp by his fellow Rebels because they think him to be a spy.

How pathetic he must look right now.

"Son of Vader," said a rumbling voice that snapped Luke out of his thoughts and made him turn to see the alien being kneeling in front of his bed.

"My name is Luke Skywalker. Who told you I was Vader's son?" said Luke, as he had never seen this kind of alien before, and wondered if they were here to kill him.

"Your Father," said the figure, as he looked up at Luke, and could smell the resemblance in the two from their scent.

"Who are you?" said Luke, as he saw the creature rise, and wondered how this person got onboard the medical frigate.

"I am a Noghri warrior and I a loyal servant of your Father. He has sent me here with my team to take you to him where you will be safe from the Rebels Son of Vader," said the Noghri, as he saw that Vader's son was barely able to travel in his current condition, and would require the other members of his squad.

"Safe?" said Luke, as he didn't understand, and then sensed other Noghri appear almost out of the shadows of the room.

"Due to the actions of the Rebels, your Father has come to believe that you being with them is not in the best interest of your health, and wishes you to leave them to be by his side," said the Noghri warrior, as he motioned for his team to help Luke, and get him ready to be mobile.

"You can't! If you do this, they will only believe what they were told about me being a spy is true, and will make me a marked man in the Alliance," said Luke, as he tried to think of some way to resist them from moving him in his condition of bandages, and sneaking him off to the medical frigate filled with thousands of people ranging from doctors to soldiers.

"We must Son of Vader. We overheard a communication being relayed from this ship to the ship under the designation of _Home One_. After you are healed, you are to be taken before the military branch of this Rebel Alliance, and be brought back to them for further questioning on your Months missing after the battle in the Hoth system," said the Noghri Leader and saw Luke was surprised at this since he didn't expect Leia or Alliance High Command to keep this up.

"On what grounds?" said Luke, as he had told Madine why he couldn't tell them about Yoda, and felt the reason was valid enough considering the Emperor had enough spies in the Alliance without him being accused of being one.

"We do not know. All we know is that you are in danger and we must get you to safety," said the Noghri, as he turned to check on the door, and see if they were in the clear to move Luke.

"Wait! Stop!" said Luke, as he tried to get the Noghri to stop, but his body wasn't able to move like it should, and he was still tired from the sedative to numb his body's pain.

"We must hurry. Come!" said the Noghri Leader, as his squad carried Luke, and he led them to an escape pod system developed by the Alliance to get injured patients to safety in case of the ship being boarded or shot down.

The Noghri Leader had opened the escape pod system before moving away from it so his team could get Luke in it, but just as they did, the sounds of footsteps could be heard, and Princess Leia Organa of Aldreaan appeared with a group of guards assigned to her by the Council when she went to visit Luke. She instantly drew her blaster and so did her guards while the Noghri Leader along with nearly half his team created a living shield in front of the escape pod while the other half got in before it was ejected from the ship.

"Who are you? Identify yourselves!" said Leia, as she had seen reports of a species like these in reports of people in high places within the Empire, and the Rebel Alliance being assassinated by them.

The group before her didn't answer, as they just stared at her, and continued to stall the woman for as long as they could knowing that every second counted in the escape pod hold Vader's son would need to escape. But that wasn't the only reason the Noghri stayed silent, as the scent coming off Leia was similar to the Dark Lord, only it was more female scent to it, and the group of Noghri wondered if it was because of Vader's son or the fact she might be...Vader's daughter?

"Lower your weapons," said the Noghri Leader, as he saw the group look at him in the eyes, and saw the silent message spoken in those eyes before obeying the team leader.

Leia's squad quickly picked up the Noghri's weapons before checking them over for any others they may possess and once they were sure they didn't have anymore they were quickly cuffed. Leia herself wondered what this group had done, as she knew that for them to be here it must have been to kill, or in this case take someone off this ship if the escape was any indication.

"Why are you here?" said Leia, as she saw the Noghri Leader space out in front of her, and go into some kind of trance along with the rest of the unit.

"Princess Organa! I know what this species is. They are the Noghri and they are Vader's prized assassins," said one of the Rebel officers that was once an Imperial aid under the late Grand Moff Sag, as he had seen a Noghri before, and saw just how precise they were in their work since the late Grand Moff had been killed far away using advance sniping technology only someone higher then the Grand Moff could have.

"Vader! Who did you kill? Who did...you…take? Oh by the Force!" said Leia, as she ran down the hall to Luke's room, and opened to reveal her worst fears.

Luke was gone and to soon be in the hands of the Vader if not the Emperor.

'We must escape from here. We must find Lord Vader and tell him of his second child,' thought the Noghri Leader, as he looked over at Leia seeing how she walked, and her aura showed that along with her scent...she was Darth Vader's daughter.

Now the only question now was...how?

(A/N: YAY! I hope you all like this. I saw several Star Wars fics that made me come up with this little number. I hope you like it and its worthy of being called a Star Wars fic. Until next time...PEACE!!!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2-Connections

(_Home One_-Alliance High Command Council Room)

The Noghri team that was contained in Alliance holding cells were kept on sections so they couldn't even smell the other if they tried to. Each Noghri was interrogated, but they answered nothing of the questions asked, and instead had this spaced out look. They were injected with truth serums, shown holo recordings of their actions, and asked why they had taken Luke from his room to an escape pod.

And still the Noghri were all silent.

"These Noghri are something. I've seen encryption programs from high level Imperial vaults cracked open sooner then them," said Admiral Ackbar, as read the report on how these proud warriors withstood every form of interrogation the Alliance used, and that the Noghri shrugged it off like it was nothing.

"Yes. The rumors surrounding the Noghri are certainly becoming clear fact, as they have been silent the entire time, and have kept us continuously in the dark about why they took Commander Skywalker," said Mon Mothma, as she had been unnerved by this, and she could see Leia was too.

"I think it's obvious. Commander Skywalker is really a spy for Vader and somehow the Dark Lord found out that we knew. He sent his agents to retrieve Skywalker knowing that we would get information out of him," said Madine, as he saw Leia scowl at him for his words, and saw the anger that burned in those eyes of hers.

"Luke is not a spy. Vader has been pursuing Luke for years ever since the Death Star was destroyed and there were some very close calls that he face that were nearly fatal," said Leia, as Luke had been on many missions with some of them not going according to plan, and risked her friend's health.

"Vader has never been known to keep his spy's in good health no matter how good they are," said Madine, as if he was talking about the weather, and it made Leia's anger grow from the General's words.

"Luke is not a spy. Stop saying that!" said Leia, as she did not want such accusations aimed at her friend from this former Imperial, and wished Chewie was here with her to rip Madine's arms off.

"The evidence we have says differently Princess Organa. The Noghri team sent here just proves it further," said Madine, as he had truly come to believe the boy was an Imperial spy, and this latest action by the Empire further proved his theory.

"I want to speak to the Noghri Leader. Alone," said Leia suddenly, as she saw her fellow Council members all looking surprised by that single statement, and was pleased to see that Madine disapproved of it.

"What? Why?" said Madine, as he had never expected this kind of tactic to be used by the Princess, and wondered what she was up to?

"When I confronted the Noghri they were prepared to fire and fight to the death in order to make sure Luke escaped. However, after the leader of the group looked at me for a few seconds, I saw something had changed in him, and his group followed him. Whatever he knew, they knew too, and it concerns me in some way. Even if I'm wrong, I think I can get the Noghri Leader to open up to me, and possibly get him to talk if only about Darth Vader," said Leia, as she knew from the rumors that the Noghri had always served Vader with unrivaled loyalty many do not see in their own soldiers anymore, and that their only purpose was to obey Darth Vader.

"It wouldn't make much sense for the Noghri Leader to talk to you Princess Organa," said General Rieekan, as didn't see the logic behind the idea, and wondered if Leia was gasping at straws in order to find Luke.

"Perhaps, but I think Noghri respect authority, and those they believe have it to a certain extent. All I'm asking for is a little time with the Noghri leader," said Leia, as she could feel her instincts telling her to speak to the Noghri Leader, and learn why he was ordered by Vader to take Luke from them.

"Very well. However, I want an armed team outside the cell incase there is trouble, and keep you safe," said Mon Mothma, as she didn't want their prisoner to suddenly become bold, and take Leia hostage.

"I understand," said Leia, as she bowed to Mon Mothma before leaving, and began to head directly for the holding cell.

(Star Destroyer-_The Enforcer_)

Luke struggled to open his eyes, as he felt the need to awaken become an apparent need of his mind, and saw he was no longer in an Alliance escape pod. He was in an Imperial Sick Bay area with the group of Noghri that had been in the escape pod with him and each one on high alert for any potential threats.

Sitting up Luke felt his wounds no longer plagued him, as he no longer had any wounds on his body, and found himself feeling healthier then he had in years. The door to the room opened, with the Noghri around him tensing with weapons ready to be used at a moments notice, and eyed the person coming in with calculating eyes.

"Ah, Jedi Knight Skywalker, I see you are awake, and feeling better I take it?" said the man wearing a doctor's coat and began examining the young man while under the ever piercing eyes of the Noghri around him.

"Yes. Though I'm not really a Jedi Knight, but rather a Jedi in training," said Luke, as he saw the doctor raise an eyebrow at that, but then went back to examining Luke's body for anything out of place, and at the readouts from the equipment that had been monitoring him since he was brought onboard _The Enforcer_.

"Well Jedi or not, your body is back to what it should be, and I'm sure Lord Vader will be pleased to know you are healthy again," said the doctor, as he had been informed by the Dark Lord about Skywalker getting the best medical treatment there was, and failure to do so would be lethal for the good doctor.

"Vader? He's here?" said Luke, as he couldn't sense the man, and wondered if the Dark Lord was possibly masking his presence.

"No, but we did contact him immediately the instant we got you on board, and we were told by the Noghri that Lord Vader was to be told of your rescue from the Rebels. To be honest, when I saw you, I originally thought that they had done that to you, but saw that the methods used on you were not standard Noghri attacks, and knew any Noghri warrior worth his blade always makes the kills quick, and the damage to the physical body would precise when delivered. Your injuries are blunt, random, and lack the finesse the Noghri here possess with their years of training while in the service of Lord Vader," said the doctor, who had a form of respect for the Noghri, as they had sharp eyes when it came to the ways of the blade, and could rival any surgeon of any medical profession.

"When will he be here?" said Luke, as he wondered how long it would take him in trying to overpower the Noghri, and escape the clutches of the Imperials on this ship.

"_The_ _Executor_ will arrive here in another day, maybe less considering how the Dark Lord would no doubt try to rip through the very fabric of time just to see you, and speak with you for reasons I can't fathom. Though it's not my place to question Darth Vader and I have no interest in doing so," said the doctor, as he finished his examination, and began to leave to make a report to give to Darth Vader upon the man's arrival.

When the doctor left, Luke sighed, and collapsed back on the bed wondering what could possibly happen next for him knowing that soon his Fath-that _Darth Vader_ would be on this ship.

"Something troubles you Son of Vader?" said one of the Noghri, as he saw Luke letting out a sigh, and the conflicting emotions on the young man's face.

"You could say that. I had always believed that my Father was a great Jedi warrior named Anakin Skywalker and that he was killed by Darth Vader. Only now, it seems that the two are the same person, and I don't know what to believe anymore," said Luke, as he wished he had been told the truth about his Father, and not lied to all his life.

"Your Father is a great warrior Son of Vader. In every mission Lord Vader undertakes for the Empire, he leads by entering the very battlefield itself to fight the enemy, and doesn't sit by while his troops fight the battle for him," said another Noghri, who had been with Lord Vader on several mission, and was proud to fight beside the Sith Lord.

'Perhaps, but now I know what Master Yoda meant when he said wars don't make one great, and that he was referring to my Father,' thought Luke, as he reached out to the Force for some measure of guidance, but found the answers he wished for were not there, and the young Jedi in training wondered if they would only appear to him right when his..._Father_ came.

For the moment, all Luke could do was reach out to the Force, and wait for the outcome that was to happen.

(Alliance Frigate-_The Containment_)

Leia entered the cell of the Noghri Leader, who had symbols on his shoulder that if were translated correctly meant "Spirit of the Warrior", and it was clearly seen by the Princess of Alderaan. She had the guards inside the room wait outside of it, as the holo recording devices had been turned off on her orders, and she sat down in a chair not some 10 feet away from the shackled servant of Darth Vader.

"I know you don't want to talk to us about what you know, but perhaps you will just talk to me, and only me," said Leia, as she saw the Noghri Leader look at her with that blank look, and wondered if Vader had taught them this.

For a moment, the Noghri Leader did nothing, but looked at her with those cold blank eyes, and Leia wondered if he hadn't secretly killed himself while looking like he was meditating?

"You are _his_ child," said the Noghri Leader, as he nearly made Leia jump out of her chair at the sudden talking, and felt she had just got her foot in the door.

"What do you mean? Of course Bail Organa is my Father!" said Leia, as she felt angry at the prisoner before her making such an obvious statement that it had to be an insult, and wondered what the servant of Darth Vader was getting at.

"No. Not him. That man is not your birth Father," said the Noghri Leader, as he ignored Leia's angry eyes looking at him with increased fury, and wondered if those eyes were like Lord Vader's when he was angry.

"You have some nerve telling me that, especially when it's coming from the servant of Darth Vader!" said Leia, as she saw the prisoner twitch at that, and she wondered if he was getting annoyed with her before got out of her to walk away.

"Do you want to know the truth behind your parentage?" said the Noghri Leader, as he looked at Leia turn around to face him, and saw the various emotions running through her facial features.

"What truth?" said Leia, as she saw the prisoner before her looking at her with kind almost _gentle_ eyes now, and the survivor from Alderaan wondered what had changed.

"The truth that has been hidden from you all your life by that of lies from those that did not want you to know. A truth that when revealed will take all that you know and shatter it like glass," said the Noghri Leader, as saw Leia eyeing him carefully, and wondering if he was setting her up for some kind of trap.

"What could have been hidden from me that if told would change everything?" said Leia, as she walked over to him, and sat back down in her chair.

"Your Father is someone that you hate very much and would never want to accept if you were to know his name," said the Noghri Leader, as he knew destroying nearly 20 years of false truth was not an easy task, and that the lie was possibly preferred to the actual truth.

Maybe that was why so many people lie?

"Does this person even know that I am his daughter?" said Leia, as she had a feeling for years growing up that she wasn't the biological child of Bail Organa, but kept it buried by fighting the Empire, and not letting the feeling surface in the process.

"No. But make no mistake you are _his_ daughter," said the Noghri Leader, as he saw Leia look at him with an impatient look, and wondered if she inherited it from her Father.

"Who? Tell me who my real Father is if you really know!" said Leia, as she now saw the Noghri Leader deep in thought, and she could see he was contemplating on whether or not to tell her.

"That is a conversation for another time," said the Noghri Leader, as his stance changed to like it was before, and no sooner had he done that did Madine walk in with his guards.

"Well, I see this attempt at talking in their ways of respect didn't show promise Princess Organa, and will have to be done by other means," said Madine, as he motioned for his Special Ops men to take the prisoner away, and saw Leia was angry at him for coming into the room.

"You have a lot of nerve entering when I was just about to get some information," said Leia, as she realized that the Noghri prisoner sensed Madine coming, and decided to shut up before the entered.

Whatever information the warrior in front of her possessed it was not meant for anyone else's ears except Leia's own.

"So you claim, but you had your chance, and now it's my turn. I have clearance from all the members of the Council," said Madine, as he handed her the datapad, and saw the Princess of Alderaan reading it quickly.

"To give the same interrogation you gave Luke, right?" said Leia, as she saw the man grin at her, and heard the shackled prisoners restraints move slightly when the guards lifted him up to his feet.

"That boy was an enemy of the Alliance. Commander Skywalker needed to know that spies and traitors are not tolerated within the military structure of the organization. What I do in my arena is not your problem Princess Organa and should leave it to those that are qualified to handle military matters," said Madine, as he took the datapad from Leia, and then turned to the Noghri in front of him now being taken to another cell for "proper" interrogation.

"You're making a big mistake," said Leia, as she was not about to have her only chance at getting information out of the prisoner be taken away because of some former Imperial Officer, and thought she was some weak woman that couldn't handle what he did.

"That's your opinion Princess, but that's all you have in regards in this matter, and unless you want me to report you to Alliance High Command for disrupting _my_ means at getting information I suggest you back off," said Madine, as walked around her, and headed off with his prisoner to tell him what he wanted to know.

"Just like you disrupted mine General?" said Leia, as she saw the man stop, and look back at her with a look that told her he didn't like being contradicted.

"You were having a _conversation_ with him Princess. That's not an interrogation," said Madine, as he walked out of the room, and left Leia to wonder what it was the Noghri told her.

She would have to ask one of the others and soon before Madine got a hold of them.

(Star Destroyer-_The Enforcer_)

_The Executor_ easily dwarfed over the much smaller Star Destroyer, as the Lambada Class shuttle from the ships hanger exited the Super Star Destroyer, and entered the smaller one before Darth Vader walked with a purpose out of the shuttle through the corridors of the war ship towards the medical bay. The doctor in charge of Luke's condition in recovering from the Rebel's interrogation had given a detailed report while trying to keep up with the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Reaching the medical bay, Vader entered to see his son resting on the bed with the group of Noghri he assigned to find the boy now bowing at the Dark Lord's presence. As for Luke himself, he was giving off an aura mixed with fear, and of curiosity at just what the man was going to do now.

"Leave us," said Darth Vader to the doctor, who nodded to the Dark Lord, and left the two alone with the Noghri since they were like statues at this moment.

"Hi," said Luke, as he stood up, and saw his Father just standing there before the man moved faster then the boy thought possible.

And gave him a hug?

"My son," said Vader with pride in his voice and Luke didn't know how to react to this show of affection considering this was the Dark Lord of the Sith that served the Emperor.

"I...I can't truly call you Father yet after all I've been through on Bespin. I want to know you first before I do. The Noghri have said nothing, but great things about you, and while they speak the truth...what they say may be a little biased," said Luke, as he felt Vader let go of him, and saw the Dark Lord nod his head in understanding.

"I understand. As for what happened on Bespin, I do regret doing that to you, and wish I could take it back. It seems the Force has placed us in a circle of cruel irony in terms of us losing a limb when battling Sith Lords during our young lives as Jedi Apprentices," said Vader, as he turned away from his son, and flexed his right prosthetic hand at the memory of when Count Dooku cut off his right hand just below the elbow.

"Did you ever get over the fact that your hand was artificial?" said Luke, as he knew that was kind of stupid to ask since a large portion of his Father's body was currently artificial right now, and hope his Father understood what he was referring to.

"No. I just got used to it, but I never let it go, and I could always feel the sensation that came with it every so often," said Vader, as he turned back around to face Luke, and saw the boy nod in understanding.

"It seems we have more in common then I thought. For what it's worth to the Noghri, I am glad that they saved me from the interrogation I was put under, and I am grateful for what they did," said Luke, as he saw the Noghri bow lower if it were possible, and sensed they were proud of their greatest accomplishment to date.

"It is unfortunate they lost half their group," said Vader, as he knew that the Noghri were not a large race of beings, and to lose even a fraction of their numbers was a heavy blow to take.

"They're not dead. I sense some of them have been interrogated by Madine, but they are resisting, and not saying anything to him," said Luke, as he reached out with the Force to sense the Noghri that sacrificed themselves to get him here, and the young Skywalker felt a sense of pride from those around him along with those in the Alliance prison cells for doing their noble deed.

"They will escape when the time is right. I have every confidence in them," said Vader, as he knew that the Noghri that were imprisoned would make their move when the right opportunity presented itself, and return to him once more.

"I don't doubt it since they managed to get onboard the Medical Frigate without being detected," said Luke smirking at that, but then it left him when a thought occurred to him, and sensed that his Father sensed it too.

"You want me to free Solo from the Bounty Hunter," said Vader, as he could read his son's mind easily in this openly trusting state, and the Dark Lord wondered if Luke was doing this willingly.

"He is my friend. On Hoth, I was attacked by a Wampa while on patrol, and after I got away I nearly froze to death. If it wasn't for Han, I would have died, and I wouldn't be here talking to you right now," said Luke, as he did owe Han one, and this way he could help set everything even down the line in saving people's skins.

"Very well. I will inform the Bounty Hunter to return here with Captain Solo and provide him the necessary payment to compensate him for his losses with Jabba the Hutt," said Vader, as he knew that the slug would be unhappy in losing his prize, but would have no choice in relenting, and would find a considerable amount of credits enough to keep his anger at bay.

"Thank you...Father," said Luke, as he could see the man he knew existed, and knew that his Father had some form of honor in him.

"You're most welcome my son. Get some more rest, as I will have our shuttle ready for departure for _The Executor_ ready within the hour, and I want you rested for the things to come," said Vader, as he gave his son one last hesitant hug, and left the room to inform the Admiral of his orders.

"This is going to be one crazy family outing," said Luke, as he sat back on his bed, and looked up at the sealing before closing his eyes to go to temporarily sleep.

The last thing that ran through Luke's mind before he did was whether he was a Jedi or a Sith in training?

Only time would tell.

(_Home One_-Alliance High Command Council Room)

"Are you serious?!" said Leia, as she just read Madine's current proposal he had created for the Alliance to accept, and wondered how intoxicated the man was right now or when he had written the proposal.

"Quite actually. I don't see the problem with it," said Madine, as he saw Leia's eyes now almost glowing with rage, and thought it was something to behold right now.

"You don't see the problem with it? General Madine, you want us to issue a policy that is to issue to _kill_ every single sentient being, who can use the Force, and declare all of them abominations of the Galaxy!" said Leia, as she had great respect for the Jedi from what her Bai-her _Father_ had told her about Jedi, and was now ignoring the words that the Noghri had said about Bail Organa not being her real Father.

"I've seen what these kinds of beings can do to the Galaxy. History itself tells us of Jedi, Dark Jedi, and Sith nearly ripping the Galaxy into two with their sorcery. Every single being that is connected to this nonsense, is a threat to the Galaxy, and to the Alliance!" said Madine, as he knew that those with such powers were a threat, and in his mind all threats must be eliminated.

"Jedi have done nothing to warrant such hatred. That is Imperial propaganda created by the Emperor himself!" said Leia, as she was not about to have the very guardians of the Republic have their names stained by one of the members of the Alliance that was trying to restore the government they supported.

"Did it ever occur to you Princess Organa, that the Emperor was onto something when he created that so called 'propaganda', and that all those connected to it must be destroyed?" said Madine, as he saw many within the Council room look at him like he was crazy, and some of the members even had the nerve to shake their heads at him.

"I will not accept this ridiculous proposal to be added into the Alliance," said Leia, as she threw the datapad into the middle of the table, and waited for others to make their own voices heard.

"I agree with Princess Organa. Such actions are rash and can be views as genocidal," said Admiral Ackbar, as he had known several Jedi throughout the years during the Clone Wars, and was not about to betray those that had helped his people in their time of need.

"So do I. Jedi were the key defenders of the Republic right until its fall and if we are to truly restore the Republic we must wait for such individuals that have the power of the Force to appear," said Mon Mothma with General Rieekan also agreeing with her in this matter greatly.

'It's not much of a victory, but it's something to keep Madine at bay for awhile,' thought Leia, as she saw Madine scowling at his proposal being shutdown, and knew this was not the end of this.

There were plenty of battles to go.

(A/N: YAY! Another update! How was it? Good? Bad? Let me know in your reviews so I can do better since it's been awhile since I did Star Wars. Until next time...PEACE!!!)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3-Revelations

Luke awoke with a start in his new room on board the _Executor_, as he was still getting use to the idea of being the Son of Darth Vader, and even more so when interacting with the man. It was strange in a sense since not that long ago, the Dark Lord of the Sith had fought him on Bespin, and cut off his hand in a Lightsaber duel before revealing himself to be the boy's Father.

'This feels strange,' thought Luke, as he got out of his bed, showered in the refresher, got dressed in the clothes chosen for him to wear by his Father, and put them on finding that all black clothes fit him surprisingly well.

Maybe it was a family thing?

Luke right hand flexed after he covered it with a black glove to block out the feeling of it being fake despite the Imperial upgrade in prosthetics that sadly enough far outdid the one he got when he was brought on board the Alliance medical Frigate. Though that was not surprising since the Empire had the most advanced technology and could overpower the Alliance in a straight head on fight with it.

Deciding to put the Alliance out of his head for the moment, Luke exited his room to find the squad of Stormtroopers waiting his exit, and he wondered what their faces looked like when Vader had told them that he was not to be harmed. Granted, Luke could sense their surprise through the Force, but seeing their faces at the command was something that the former farm boy had secretly wanted to see, and in a way laugh at the expressions they would each show from it.

Again, putting such meaningless thoughts away in the back of his head, Luke walked towards the bridge to see the terrifying form that was Darth Vader looking into the stars deep in thought, and drinking in the darkness of space. Luke often wondered if his Father did this when he was still Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker? Or perhaps this was something he could only do as a Sith Lord?

"How is your new hand?" said Vader, as he turned to see Luke dressed in black, and felt a swell of pride in knowing his son was standing before him now.

"It's going to take some time getting use to it like I did the other one did, but then again, I was just getting use to the first one too," said Luke, as he saw his Father nod his head, and the young man felt that the Sith Lord had more in common with him in that regard.

"Understandable," said Vader, as his right hand twitched for a fraction of a second, and it was barely seen by Luke when it happened.

"Did you make contact with the Bounty Hunter that took my friend?" said Luke deciding that changing the subject was the best course here.

"Yes. Boba Fett was not pleased in the fact that I ordered him to relinquish his prize from being delivered to Jabba the Hutt. Nevertheless, he has complied with my demand, and is on his way here with Solo on his ship. _Slave I_ will be here within 3 days time with Solo onboard frozen in frozen carbonite," said Vader, as he saw Luke look uneasy at that since the same thing nearly happened to him, and he had barely escaped that trap through some quick thinking.

"Thank you. I know I'm asking a lot of you in such a short time, but I owe Han so much for sticking around when he could have left after Yavin, and he nearly did before I flew against the Death Star. He's saved me on multiple occasions including on Hoth and had to endure this latest act because of me," said Luke, as he felt guilty about that, and hoped his Father understood what it meant to have close friends stick their necks out for you when it counted.

Apparently, Vader did from what Luke saw when his Father nodded his head, and sensed the smile that was behind the black mask of the Sith Lord.

"While the Emperor would disapprove of such things, I understand what it means to have those that are loyal to me, and can trust to help when I cannot help myself," said Vader and sensed the crew along with the Noghri that were still in the shadows feeling pleased in the fact that the Dark Lord respected them.

Even if he never showed it.

"I remember when I was younger, I wanted to join the Imperial Academy, and fly in a fighter in some great battle. Uncle Owen was so adamant that I not do anything like that, but rather stay focused on the tending to the moisture farm, and keeping me there for as long as he could. Aunt Beru thought I should follow my own destiny that I felt was right for me and embrace what I believed in. Then, shortly after the two droids came, and with my home being destroyed soon after that...," said Luke, as he felt sorrow come seeping into his chest, and he had to keep it from spreading deeper into his soul.

"The restrictions were gone, but at a price, and you couldn't get them back because they had been a part of you for so long" said Vader, as he knew what it meant to have the things that tied you down be removed from your presence, or be destroyed before his eyes.

For a moment, both thought they heard the battle cry of Tusken Raiders echoing within the room, but ignored it, and blocked it out as a past memory from their respected pasts.

"Yeah. Not long after that, Ben opened me up to the Force with some minor training on the _Falcon_, and for that brief moment I felt myself surge with unimaginable power," said Luke, as he recalled the first time he truly connected with the Force, and how it seemed to press him further into its warmth the longer he was using it.

"Speaking of your training. I think its time to begin learning more about the Force and building your _own_ Lightsaber," said Vader, as he wanted his son to be ready for what it was that awaited him in the near future, and the eventual battle that was to come when facing the Emperor.

"I understand the Lightsaber part, but I don't think I'm ready to learn the ways of the Dark Side, and become a Sith," said Luke, as he still had some concerns on that, and that his Father could sense them too.

Vader only nodded at his son's words, as they had much to do, and would get to the point of what side of the Force that Luke would use eventually so there was no need to rush it.

The Emperor didn't need to know about Luke being in his custody just yet and Vader had also assumed that the Alliance was going to keep this quiet about this for now in order to avoid any embarrassment this situation may have for them within their ranks.

(With the Rebel Fleet-A Few Days Later)

Leia walked along the prison cell area where the Noghri were all kept, as she had heard they had all gone under Madine's interrogation methods. She had told Alliance High Command that the Noghri were loyal to only one man in the Empire and they would sooner end their lives then tell Madine anything he wanted to know.

And still they ignored her.

Entering the last holding cell on the left, Leia came across the battered bloody form of the Noghri Leader, who she spoke to before the conversation was interrupted by Madine, and saw the warrior look up at her. His feline like eyes showed her that he had not bended to the interrogation skills of Crix Madine or his men in their attempts to extract information out of him.

"I wanted to talk to you again," said Leia, as she looked around the room for any holo-recording devices that may be in the room, but saw none from what she could see, and saw the Noghri looking at her with those defiant eyes.

"This room isn't secure to speak. Anything I tell you, the fool that has hurt me will use against Lord Vader, and I will not dishonor him," said Noghri Leader, as he saw Leia nod in understanding, and wondered if the room had been bugged with the Noghri being able to sense it.

"Can you sense the recording systems?" said Leia, as she saw the warrior shake his head no, and the Alderaan Princess felt her chance to have a conversation end.

"I know this man will try to keep a close eye on me and he knows you wish to ask me questions that I will only speak to you about," said the Noghri Leader, as he saw Leia frown at that, and he knew that she wished to know more about Luke's connection to Vader.

"What about Luke? Now that Vader has him, would it be all right if I asked questions about Luke, and his connection to the Dark Lord?" said Leia, as she felt that even if Madine learned some kind of shocking revelation about Luke's supposed connection to Vader it didn't mean anything.

The Noghri warrior said nothing for a moment in thought, as he wondered if it was all right to speak of it, and reveal it to his Lord's enemies. They could use it against the Dark Lord of the Sith down the road, which would be unacceptable, but then again the boy was with his Father, and the Rebel's could not hurt him if they tried.

"I will tell you, but you are about to hear is something that may be unfathomable for you to believe, and change your perceptions about the boy," said the Noghri Leader, as he saw Leia sit down in the chair in front of him, and began to tell her the connection that the Dark Lord had with his son.

(The _Executor_-At the Moment)

Boba Fett was irritated beyond belief, as he docked on the Super Star Destroyer, and was now unloading his prize to Jabba the Hutt in front of Darth Vader. Personally, the Bounty Hunter had no idea what the Dark Lord wanted with Solo a second time, or why the very person Vader wanted from the start was right behind the Sith instead of being held in a detention cell?

"I hope you understand that by doing this, you are upsetting a very powerful Hutt, and he won't let this slide away like this is nothing. Jabba will have my head for this," said Boba Fett, as he wanted Vader to understand the ramifications of taking away a Hutt's prized treasure, and the backlash from this was not going to be light.

"Jabba the Hutt is an insect to me Bounty Hunter and will be crushed beneath my feet if we are to reach a confrontation with each other. As for you, I would be more concerned in getting off my ship in one piece should you continue to test my patience, and decide to be reluctant in handing Solo back over to me," said Vader, as he read Fett's mind, and the memory of the man's Father being killed by Mace Windu appeared.

"Just give me my fee for this little change in the agreement. If I'm going to leave without Solo, I expect to be compensated for it, and give some of it to Jabba so I don't become his replacement trophy," said Boba Fett, as he saw Vader nod, and then motion for two of his Stormtroopers to deliver the credits onto the Bounty Hunter's ship while another two took Solo to be put "standing up" in front of Vader himself.

"Done! Now leave us Bounty Hunter," said Vader, as he saw Boba Fett look at his former prize one last time, and then left while thinking up several choice words he wanted to say right now.

"Thank you Father," said Luke, as he saw his friends tortured looking face, and wondered if his friend felt any pain while in stasis like that.

"Begin the thawing process," said Vader to one of his technicians, who now began to go to work on the control panel of the frozen smuggler, and began the process of freeing the man from his "prison".

Within minutes, Vader along with Luke witnessed the thawing process of the carbonite, and one Han Solo falling out of it onto the cold metal floor of the docking bay. It took a minute for the smuggler to move, as he found himself free from that dark hell, and was now temporarily blinded because of the process done to him.

"W-Where am I-I?" said Han, as he wondered what hell Jabba had put him in since being frozen, and stopped when his ears heard the all familiar sound of Darth Vader's respirator system.

"You are once more in my custody Captain Solo," said Vader, who saw the man shiver heavily from the sound of his voice instead of the carbonite freezing process, and Han now wished he was at Jabba's Palace on Tantooine.

"W-Why? I assume Luke escaped f-from your so c-called trap and n-now you h-have to take i-it out on m-me?" said Han, as he didn't expect to be around Vader anytime soon, and was only thankful that he didn't have to see the Sith Lord right now.

"No. I saved you from your fate of being imprisoned in frozen carbonite forever because my _son_ wished you to be freed along with an unmarked ship to get you to a neutral planet of your choice preprogrammed into the navigation system. By that time, your blindness should leave you, and you will have recovered your eyesight completely," said Vader, as he saw Solo try stand up, but was having difficulty so two Stormtroopers did it for him though the man struggled a bit when they did.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Your _son_ wanted me free? Why? Who is your son? I didn't even know you had a kid Vader, but whatever game he's playing, I'm not going to, and you can't make me," said Solo, as he wondered what Vader's kid looked like, and if he shared any of his Father's looks.

"Father means me Han," said Luke, as he took one step forward past Vader, and saw the man's blind eyes widen at hearing an old friends voice.

"Luke? Is that you? What are you doing with Vader? How long was I out?" said Han, as he wasn't sure if this was a trick, or this was the real deal with Luke now with Vader being his friend's old man.

"Long enough I'm afraid. Han, after my failed attempt to rescue you from your prison, I fought my Father, and lost with Leia having to come rescue me from where I had fallen after my Lightsaber duel, and after that Madine...well...let's just say that going back the Alliance isn't something that is in the best interest of my health," said Luke, as he saw Han making a face at him like he still didn't understand, and was replaying what was said over in his head to make sure.

"What did Madine do? Is Leia all right? And how in the Sith Hell did Darth Vader of all people suddenly become your Father. I thought that crazy old man named Kenobi told you that Vader betrayed and murdered your Father?" said Han, as he now wished to see Luke's face when they spoke to gauge the man's reaction, and wondered if the kid was shrugging right now.

"Ben lied to me Han. He did it so I wouldn't try to find my Father," said Luke, as he hated how Ben kept the secret from him, and made him hate his Father after being told that lie.

"I wonder why?" said Han sarcastically and was instantly finding himself chocking at the hands of Vader summoning the Force to use his signature execution move.

"Be careful what you say to my son Captain Solo. My mercy has limits as you already know," said Vader before he freed the man from his grip while Luke pleaded with his Father through the Force to let his friend go.

'I've noticed,' thought Han, as he felt a friendly hand on his shoulder, and knew it was Luke's.

"Listen Han, I'm asking you to trust me here, and just keep yourself from getting in trouble with my Father. I can't keep him from wanting to kill you forever so please think before you speak," said Luke, as he saw his friend _reluctantly_ nod his head, and turned back to his Father seeing him nod as well.

"Prepare a ship for Captain Solo that will take him to a neutral planet of his choice," said Vader to one of his officers and the said officer saluted before carrying out the command.

"Luke, the Alliance won't take this lying down, and you can bet that blonde hair of yours that they are going to do whatever it they can to take you out if not capture you to get at your...Father," said Han, as he couldn't believe he just said that, and wondered if he was losing his own mind.

"I know. That's why you have to tell Leia I'm sorry things turned out the way they did and I am still her friend despite who my Father is," said Luke before he took a few steps back and let the Stormtroopers take Han away to get him properly dressed in proper flight clothes.

His friend was safe and would soon return to the people that cared about him.

It was for the best.

(­_Home One_-Leia's private quarters-1 Week Later)

Leia sat on her bed, as she began working what was told to her through her head, and was trying hard to will her mind into believing that it wasn't true. She had been told by the Noghri Squad Leader that Luke Skywalker was really the son of Darth Vader and that he was now safe with the Sith Lord.

'Safe? The man cut off Luke's hand with his Lightsaber. I doubt Luke is safer with Vader anymore then he is with Madine,' thought Leia, as she didn't know who was worse for Luke to be with right now, and would have said Vader if it not for how she was told that Luke's..._Father_ had taken him to ensure his safety from Madine.

Rescued from one enemy, but only to be placed in the hands of another.

Then there was the lingering feeling that she was still connected to Luke in some way, as she recalled hearing him calling out to her through the Force back on Bespin, and how she turned the _Falcon_ around immediately to save him. Leia remembered how the Noghri told her that Bail Organa was not her real Father, but a false one that placed her on a road of half-truths, and false lies that if made public would shatter all she knows.

"Princess Organa?" said a Rebel Soldier knocking on the door outside of her room.

"Yes," said Leia, as she decided to let this matter with Luke being Vader's son be put aside for now, and wondered how Alliance High Command would feel when they heard the news from Madine's recording devices planted in the Noghri's cell.

"You're need in the docking bay #54. There's someone that just arrived that you're not going to believe is here," said the Rebel Soldier, who sounded to Leia like he was in pretty good spirits about it, and wondered just who this person was that could peak her interest.

Leaving her quarters, Leia headed down to the docking bay #54, and what she saw made her speechless in every sense of the word. Standing there in a simple standard flight suit, was one Han Solo, who was looking rather healthy for someone not that long ago having been put into a carbonite freezing process before being sent off to Jabba the Hutt, and gave her a cocky smile.

"Hey your worshipfulness, did you miss me?" said Han, as he walked over to Leia, and saw how her face looked like she had seen a ghost.

He could only imagine how Chewie would look when the Wookiee saw him.

"Han is that really you?" said Leia, as she couldn't think of anything else to say, and saw his smile becoming even cockier.

"Well I could pinch you, but if I did you'd probably slap, and yell at me for it," said Han, as he saw Leia's eyes widen, and she instantly wrapped her hand around him in a hug that could give Chewie a run for his money.

"Thank the Force you're here. How did you escape from Boba Fett? What about Jabba?" said Leia, as she saw him frown a little now, and she knew what he had to say to her was not something she wanted to hear.

"I need to talk to you in private. There is something I need to tell you about Luke and you need to tell me what the hell happened to cause him to...leave," said Han, as he saw her nod in understanding, and now had an idea of how Han got free from his prison.

"I know. I'll get someone in communications to reach the _Falcon_ and have Chewie come back with Lando," said Leia, as she saw Han look at her with surprise, and gave him a look telling the smuggler that she would explain later.

(Leia's Quarters-Sometime Later)

"So let me get this straight. While I was frozen in carbonite, Madine believed that Luke was a spy under Vader, and had him interrogated under Imperial standards in secret with the brief exception of Alliance High Command to a certain degree giving approval. Not only that, but at the same time Vader sent Noghri warriors to save Luke from Madine, and bring him over to the Empire where he'll be safe?" said Han, as he had a hard time believing that such actions would happen with Luke if what Leia told him of the account with Vader dueling the kid on Bespin was true.

Though considering Vader's past actions, Han wasn't going to rule out the possibilities, and take Leia's word for it.

"Pretty much Han. I spoke with the Noghri Squad Leader since he seemed interested in talking only to me for whatever his reasons. Apparently, Luke is Vader's son, and Vader felt Luke's pain through the Force after their duel on Bespin gave them some kind of link with each other," said Leia, as she didn't really understand the Force very much, and had a feeling Luke knew only a tiny bit more then she did in regards to that.

"I think it's more then just apparent Leia. I spoke to Luke when I got out of my little prison Vader put me in and the kid willingly admitted to me that his Father was the Sith Lord. He told me that old guy Kenobi back on the first Death Star lied to him about his Father being killed so Luke wouldn't go running after Vader to confront him," said Han, as he ran a hand through his hair, and looked at Leia seeing her look saddened by this too.

"When the rest of the Alliance gets word of this, it will shake it down to its very core, and Alliance High Command will try to capture if not kill Luke for being Vader's son," said Leia, as she didn't want to see her friend hurt, and even more so because of his parentage.

"Yeah well, I'm not going to be a part of it, and I say to hell with anyone that tries. Luke freed me from my prison when he could have left me to be transported and a trophy on Jabba's wall," said Han, as he wasn't about to join Madine's Special Ops Team that was going to be put together to take down Luke, and score another blow against the Empire.

The General was probably getting every Alliance member he could get his hands on to run a psychological profile on Luke right now.

"I feel the same way and I'm sure Chewie will too," said Leia, as the Wookiee was quite fond of Luke like he was Han, and wouldn't care if Luke was the son of the Sith Lord.

"When do we break the news to Alliance High Command? Before or after I make an appearance at the next meeting?" said Han, as he saw her smile, and hug him again to show how much she missed his witty humor.

"Soon. By now, word of your return has reached them, and they will want to hear your story," said Leia, as she could see it now upon telling them how Han got free from Boba Fett, with Madine not believing a single word of what the man said, and would no doubt he would go on a rant about Skywalker needing to be killed.

Why Mon Mothma let Madine into the Alliance, Leia really didn't know, and almost didn't want to know for that matter.

Almost.

(The _Executor_-1 Week Later)

Luke was working tirelessly on his Lightsaber at the private workstation his Father gave him with all the means to build his weapon from scratch. It was difficult to build, as Luke had discovered from the very beginning, and his Father had told him that the Lightsaber was an extension of his very being. To craft a Lightsaber took a great deal of patience, skill, and an inner understanding of one's self upon completion of the weapon.

Luke could only pray that when it was complete, he didn't miss anything, and accidently blow himself up.

"Hello Father," said Luke, as he sensed, and heard his Father's approaching form behind him before turning to face the tall dark figure of Darth Vader looking back at him.

"Hello son. How far is your progress in building your Lightsaber?" said Vader, as he saw some of his son's work from the angle of where he was standing, and saw that it was halfway done.

"It's going pretty well, though I'm a bit nervous in making my own Lightsaber, and a bit worried it won't exactly work when it's time to activate it. Did you feel the same way when you made yours?" said Luke, as he got up from his chair, and walked towards his Father.

"At first I was, but it gets easier each time you make one, and trust me when I say you will need to make spares should the one you're making now is destroyed beyond repair," said Vader, as images of his first Lightsaber breaking, and how he thought Obi-wan was going to kill him for it.

"There has been something I've wanted to ask you since I got here, but I have a feeling that it's a very touchy subject, and you may not want to answer me right away," said Luke, as he felt that spending time with his Father so far had allowed them to bond on such a powerful level, and wondered if this was simply a bond shared between a Master and apprentice?

"You want to ask me about your Mother," said Vader, as he easily read his son's mind, and the surprise that he asked the question for him.

"I never knew anything about my Mother growing up. Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru never told me anything about her when I asked them. Uncle Owen would make me do chores and Aunt Beru would just tell me that my Mother loved me very much. I can sense she is...dead, but I don't know how, and I was hoping you could tell me everything about her up until...," said Luke, as he didn't like saying that word when put in the same sentence with his Mother.

Vader felt the same way.

"Before I tell you everything Luke, I want to say right now that I loved your Mother since the moment I met her when I was little boy, and thought about her every day during my Jedi training. So matter what, when you hear how your Mother might have died, know that I have regretted losing her ever since," said Vader, as he began his tale of how he met Padme to the end when Obi-wan Kenobi appeared on the Nubian ship's ramp making the newly made Sith apprentice believe she had betrayed him.

And how he had used the Force Choke on her for a few seconds before releasing it.

"So that's how it happened. I remember when I was younger I had nightmares similar to the description of your battle with Obi-wan. I think I somehow used the Force to see into your past," said Luke, as he sensed his Father's surprise by this, and wondered if his son had seen anymore.

"I never intended to hurt her Luke. I was so filled with rage when Obi-wan appeared on the ramp, I thought your Mother had betrayed me, and all I had for her in order to prevent her death," said Vader, as the memory still surfaced every so often, and continued to hurt upon remembering it.

"There is still something I don't understand. If Mother died shortly after your duel with Obi-wan, then how did I get my name since she was the only one outside of you who knew what to name me?" said Luke, as he sensed his Father was curious about that too, and wondered if perhaps Padme had lived long enough to name Luke.

If that were the case, then Vader didn't kill Padme after all, and that the Emperor had _lied_ to him deliberately to ensure his loyalty.

"What you say is indeed interesting my son. Obi-wan was clearly there at the time of your birth, but with him dead, there is no other we know of that could know how your Mother died, and where she delivered you," said Vader, as he cursed Obi-wan for doing this to him, and his son in denying him the truth.

"Maybe not. Have you ever heard of a Jedi Master named Yoda?" said Luke, as he felt that if his Father knew such a Jedi, then perhaps he could shed some light into the green dwarfs ways of things, and what he was like.

"Yoda? That green dwarf of a Jedi still lives? He was the only Jedi the Emperor feared due to his knowledge of the Force. From what I understand the two dueled during my own battle with Obi-wan and that Yoda's body was never recovered," said Vader, as he hated Master Yoda for telling him to let go of his attachment to Padme, and rejoice at her becoming one with the Force.

Rejoice? Rejoice! As if Vader would dare do such a thing.

"I trained with him after the Alliance lost at Hoth before I came to Cloud City. He was very reluctant to train me, saying I was too old, and that I was too much like you," said Luke, as he felt his Father's anger rise at those words, and had a feeling those words had been said at another point in time regarding his Father.

"As if that old fool could understand anyone outside of an infant child. Still, it leave me to question how exactly did you find Yoda, and on what planet?" said Vader, as he had been hunting for the Jedi for years, and this particular Jedi was the only one that got away from him.

"He's on a planet called Dagobah. It's a swamp planet with thousands of life forms on it, but not technological means whatsoever, and the truth is Ben kind of mentioned him to me on Hoth," said Luke, as he sensed his Father's puzzlement, and wanted to know more about that last part.

"On Hoth? How? Kenobi was dead on the Death Star," said Vader, as he saw his son think back to that moment, and the image of his son nearly freezing to death appeared in his mind.

"He somehow came to me in a bluish spirit like form telling me to go to Dagobah to find Yoda and then spoke to Yoda again to train me without his spirit like form," said Luke, as he saw his Father look away in thought, and wondered what was going on inside his head.

"When I had succeeded in slaying Obi-wan, there was no body, no blood, and nothing to prove he had died with the exception of his outer robes along with his Lightsaber. There is only one Jedi, who could have possessed such knowledge to pass it down to Obi-wan, and that could only be Yoda," said Vader, as his hands became fists, and felt the call of the Force within his body to find the old Jedi Master before killing him.

"It would make sense. Yoda must have been there when Mother gave birth," said Luke, as he now understood why Yoda was so concerned about him becoming like his Father, and wanting him to stay on the planet to learn the ways of the Jedi.

"If that is the case, then he will know the answers we seek to the questions that we have in our minds, and I will not wait a second longer in not knowing what happened," said Vader, as he turned around, and left to head to the bridge to tell its crew to chart a course to the Dagobah system.

One way or another Yoda would tell them everything.

(_Home One_-Alliance High Command Council Room)

"This is most disturbing news. Commander Skywalker is actually Darth Vader's own son," said Mon Mothma, as she felt things had turned for the worst, and saw the blow from this news hitting everyone hard.

"Damn it! We had a chance to force Vader into submission with his own son and now the opportunity has passed us by," said Madine, as he had longed to bring down Vader, and Luke was the best chance they could ever have had in making it possible.

"Some of the members of Rogue Squadron are asking about Luke right now and we can't keep dodging their questions forever," said Admiral Ackbar, as he felt this could have some serious consequences in the battles ahead with the Empire, and they could bring about the Alliance's undoing.

"We tell them the truth. We denounce Skywalker as the full blown traitor that he is with his parentage being more then enough proof to backup the claim," said Madine, as he saw some of the Alliance High Command members nod their heads in agreement since it was the only way to control the damage done by this news, and lessen the damage to moral.

"Now hold on. Luke maybe Darth Vader's son, but he's definitely not evil, and I should know since I was there when the Sith Lord tortured me on Cloud City before putting me in frozen carbonite. Luke was able to convince his Father to get me out of that hell and let me leave without any kind of tracking device placed in me when he had plenty of time to do it," said Han, as he was not about to have his friend get his good name get thrown into the dirt like this without a chance to fully explain himself, and was going to do whatever it took to defend Luke's honor.

"What Skywalker did is irrelevant despite how noble a deed it was. At Madine's request, I am allowing him to form a Special Ops Team that will be able to handle Skywalker, and Vader in order to ensure that the Father cannot fully teach the son," said Mon Mothma, as she saw Leia protesting this silently, and it pained the Leader of the Alliance to see the woman this way.

"So you're just going to put a team together to _assassinate_ Luke? Is that what I'm hearing because please tell me if I misheard you," said Han, as he saw Madine smile at him, and the former smuggler felt the need to sock the General right in the face.

"You heard what Mon Mothma said Solo. Skywalker is now with his Father and no doubt receiving training in that dark sorcery of theirs. It is only a matter of time before we have to face both of them instead of just one and by that point it will be too late to fight back," said Madine, as he had already gotten Skywalker's battle history, a psychological profile, and various other forms of data on the young man.

"Not everyone in the Alliance is going to be happy with this when they find out," said Han, as he knew that Rogue Squadron was loyal to Luke, and so were several other key groups within the Alliance.

"That's why very few people are going to be told about this outside of this room and if anyone in this room decides to tell anyone not authorized to know this information you will be charged with treason," said Madine, as he saw Han mutter a curse, and balled his fists tightly.

'Madine may not be an Imperial in name, but he certainly acts like one, and it's pissing me off,' thought Han, as he looked briefly at Leia, and wondered what their next course of action was going to be.

Whatever it was, the others in this room couldn't know about it, and would just have to be kept in the dark.

(Dagobah System-2 Days Later)

"So this is where Yoda has hidden himself from the Emperor. The Force run strong here and clearly masks his energy signature with that of others," said Vader, as he felt the life of the planet flowing all around him, and nearly overwhelmed him at first upon landing the shuttle.

"It's more then that Father. There is a cave not far from where Yoda settled down that is filled with Dark Side energy. He had me walk in there once where I fought you or at least at the time what I _thought_ was you in a Lightsaber duel. Only when I won, your mask had exploded, and revealed _my_ face beyond it," said Luke, as the memory of that moment was flashing within his mind once more, and wondered what else that cave was hiding with such dark energy.

"Really? So the old dwarf has been training himself to endure the harsh ways of the Dark Side in order understand it better. Interesting that he would do that," said Vader, as he once more reached out to the Force, and found Yoda's own Force energy signature not far from them.

The old Jedi Master wasn't even trying to hide his signature anymore.

The two walked through the swamp, as they both sensed Master Yoda waiting for them at his hut like structure, and he had what could only look like disappointment on his old face.

"Sensed your arrival I have. Disappointed I am in you young Skywalker. Fallen like your Father has I see," said Yoda, as he looked at Luke with sad eyes, and then turned to Vader knowing his soon to be executioner wanted to say something.

"Despite what you may think old Jedi, I am not here to end your life...not yet. What I want, is information regarding the death of my wife, and what it was that took her from the Galaxy," said Vader, as he saw just how cruel the 20 years had been on Yoda, and the Sith Lord took great pleasure in seeing it.

"Died your wife did because of you Vader. Used the Dark Side of the Force on Padme you did," said Yoda, as he had heard what the Sith Lord did shortly before his duel with Obi-wan, and what the old Jedi Master believed caused the woman to die.

"That is a lie! She named my son before her death meaning she was born somewhere else and I want to know what happened. Tell us!" said Vader, as he drew his Lightsaber, and readied it to slay the dwarf if he didn't tell them.

"Very well. From what I saw, Padme's will to live left her it did, and had to have an operation to save the babies from joining her in becoming one with the Force was done," said Yoda, as he saw Luke look at him in surprise when he said babies rather then baby, and he sensed Vader felt the same way.

"Babies? Are you saying that I have a twin?" said Luke, as he wondered who the twin was, and if that person was strong in the Force like he was.

"A twin you have young Skywalker. Born within seconds of you she was. Supported you in secret she has since you met her several years ago, even if she doesn't know that you are her brother I sense right now," said Yoda, as he saw Luke looking back on his life, and the only person he could think of was...Leia.

"It's Leia. She's my sister," said Luke, as he saw his Father stiffen at that declaration, and knew that the man had tortured her back on the first Death Star.

"Yes. Given to Bail Organa we did to ensure she would be raised in a loving home away from the eyes of the Empire. Just as we had Obi-wan give you to the Lars to protect you from your Father we planned," said Yoda, as he sensed Vader's emotions raging like a storm through his very being, and Luke too from this sudden news.

"Did Padme say anything before she died? Anything at all?" said Vader, as he wanted to believe that his wife said _something_ in her last moments of living, and wanted to know what they were.

"Said there was still good in you there still is. Question her belief in that I do," said Yoda, as he had never believed that one could simply leave the Dark Side, and would sooner perish under its wickedness before such an attempt could be even made.

"Of course you would! You never cared about what happened to me during all the time I spent training with Obi-wan, the battles I faced during the Clone Wars, or what I felt in my heart for others so long as I was your so called 'Chosen One'! You treated me like I was a _Lightsaber_ then a Jedi to use however you saw fit," said Vader, as he remembered the battles he went through, the way he questioned the Jedi for constantly sending him into battles when the Emperor didn't, and how they kept him from remotely even having a life outside of the Order.

A life with Padme.

"A Jedi's life must be with the Order and sacrifice is a necessity it is. Knew this you did and so did your wife. Defied the Jedi Order you both did. Wrong you both were," said Yoda, as he had hoped that Vader would see he was at fault, and Luke would understand what it means to commit oneself to the Jedi Order.

The reaction Yoda got from Vader however, was the now angered Sith Lord igniting his Lightsaber, and calling on all the fury of the Dark Side to his body that was still flesh.

"You _dare_! You dare insult Padme! She was Goddess among the women of the Galaxy and she shined with a light that you could _never_ understand. You, who has never known what it means to love another, and do everything in your power to save them from certain doom!" said Vader, as he felt the Force empowering him more then he had ever felt since being in this suit right now, and wondered briefly if the planet itself was doing it.

"Attachments are forbidden in the Jedi Order. Know this you did and defied it you have," said Yoda, as he frowned at Vader, and the power the man was generating right now.

"Then answer this _Master_ Yoda, if attachments are so wrong, then why is it that Masters bond so deeply with their apprentices, and attachments with them seems to be right? You have trained hundreds if not _thousands_ of apprentices during your years in the service of the Jedi Order and yet you did not shed a tear for any of them," said Vader, as he saw Yoda's eyes widen at those words, and felt offended by the accusation.

"Out lived many Jedi I have in my 900 years. Saddened by the loss of them all I was. But did not let their pain scar me like it would others it has. Waiting for me they are on the other side I sense. No need to fear death like the Sith do I will not," said Yoda, as he stared at Vader, and sensed the man's rage lighten _slightly_ at his words.

"There is only one Sith in the Galaxy that is afraid of his own mortality and I am not him old Jedi," said Vader, as he pointed his blade at Yoda, and the old Jedi Master looked at it before looking back up at the Sith Lord holding the energy weapon.

"Kill me you still wish Lord Vader? After all you have learned, you still wish to destroy me, and remove the last of your past as a Jedi from the Galaxy?" said Yoda, as he saw the conflict within Vader, and saw Luke looking at his Father to see what he would do.

"I would certainly like to Yoda. However, seeing you right here looking now so..._weak_, and fragile takes all pleasure out of killing you. You will live out the remainder of your days here on this planet old Jedi where you will slowly waste away what it left of you and then..._die_!" said Vader, as he deactivated his Lightsaber, and turned around leaving for the shuttle with Luke staring back at the old Jedi Master.

"I'm sorry Master Yoda, but I can't be the Jedi you want me to be, and I won't kill my Father if I did," said Luke, as he turned around, and followed his Father back to the shuttle while Yoda himself let out a sigh of defeat that he didn't know was there until it was too late to realize it was for defeat.

Skywalker was now with his Father, together the two would rise against the Emperor when the opportunity presented itself, and Leia Organ would soon realize her parentage like her brother before siding with her biological family. In Yoda's mind, the Jedi had truly lost, and it in part had been through their hands because of the belief in having attachments was wrong.

"_**Having attachments isn't wrong Master Yoda. Qui-Gon said so himself when you spoke with him in private. I think that was why he tried to free Anakin's Mother all those years ago so she could go with us and be close to him,"**_ said Obi-wan, as his spirit appeared before Yoda, and the aged Jedi Master looked back at the bluish form that was once Anakin's old teacher.

"Change is not something the Jedi Order did lightly in the past it has not. On more then on occasion, it has nearly destroyed us, and the Galaxy through various wars it has. The future is no longer with the Jedi Order I sense, but rather a light that even now is mixing with the Dark Side into something more, and dangerous all the same it is," said Yoda, as he ran his hand through his head, and sighed again once more.

"_**The Prophesy seems to be broader then we first anticipated in bringing balance to the Force," **_said Obi-wan, as he saw the shuttle leave with the two Force strong individuals that were once his students if the youngest of them being a student for only a short time.

"Troubling I find this to be. The Prophecy destroys as well as creates life all around it I sense it does. Nevertheless, wait I will, and watch I must to see how this goes if only as an observer I can be," said Yoda, as he closed his eyes while wincing in spiritual pain knowing that he was now the last true Jedi of the Order, and walked back to his hut to dwell on it with Obi-wan right behind him.

(_Home One_-Prison Cells-2 Days Later)

With the _Falcon_ back now docked with the fleet, Leia informed them of all the events that had happened over the past couple of days, and the events that followed with the members of Alliance High Command. Chewie didn't care that Luke was Vader's son, as the young Jedi had helped them out on more then one occasion, and even Vader himself in preventing Boba Fett from shooting them on Bespin before Han was frozen.

Lando however, had gone a good shade of white for a good few minutes, and then asked her if this was really true. She then told them about the Noghri and how they served the Sith Lord in retrieving his son from Madine's continuous torture techniques.

They had to restrain Chewie from going berserk on Madine telling the Wookiee he would get his chance in the future if time allowed before Leia told them her plan.

The said plan now had Leia here in the prison cell area corridors, with Lando, and Han while Chewie taking care of the security systems in place around each of the Noghri. When they walked out, each of them kneeled before Leia to show how grateful they were for her help, and followed their liberators to the _Falcon_ in secret.

"I got the all clear to take off, though I don't think they'll let me once they learn we took a group of Imperial prisoners off their hands without authorization, and the one's that are Madine's favorite," said Han, as he had fired up the engines, and Chewie now beside him in the copilot seat helping him in the process.

"If you do this, then they will know your group helped us, and brand you as traitors," said the Noghri Leader, who looked at Leia with concern, and the woman looked back at him with a reassuring smile.

"You are not the cruel Imperials we have fought in the past, but honorable warriors, and deserved to be treated with respect," said Leia, as she saw them again bow to her yet again, and she felt a little uneasy at this sign of...submission she guessed would be the best way to word it.

"We thank you once more...Lady Vader," said the Noghri Leader, as he saw her eyes widen at that, and could tell she had not expected him calling her that.

"Lady Vader? Why are you calling her that?" said Lando, as he saw the Noghri rise, and look the two dead in the eyes.

"When we first came to save the Son of Vader, we only assumed that Lord Vader had only one child, but upon seeing you, we smelled the scent of our Master on you, and upon your talks with me I knew it was similar to that of the Son of Vader. As I said in our last meeting, you are not daughter of Bail Organa, but rather the daughter of Lord Vader, and as we served him...we serve his children with the same loyalty" said the Noghri Leader, as he saw Leia look at him in shock, and fell back in a nearby chair before fainting from this knowledge overloading her mind.

'I'm...the _daughter_ of Darth Vader?!' thought Leia, as her world went black, and the cries of Lando calling out to her.

(YAY! I updated. This was a little bit difficult to write so I'm sorry if this isn't up to par like I hoped it would be. Until next time...PEACE!!!)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4-Family Gathering

Leia awoke from what felt like a horrible nightmare come to life, as she was told by the most loyal of Darth Vader's followers that she was in fact the Sith Lord's own daughter. The very man she had been fighting against was her biological Father and the man she was raised by that she thought was her Father...was not.

"Hey your Worshipfulness, I see your finally back to the land of the living after a few days, and get the privilege to set your eyes on my handsome face," said Han, as he sat beside her in the next chair, and saw the scowl that now covered her pretty face.

"If I had to choose between that nightmare I just had to your face, I think would choose the nightmare, and getting kissed by a Wookiee," said Leia, as she heard Lando laughing, and the others too while Han grumbled on about "Princess's having no respect for their boyfriends".

"So...do you want to talk about it?" said Han, as he looked at Leia, and saw her look at him before looking away while letting out a sigh.

"I guess I can forget about it being a nightmare to a living one. The fact is, I don't know what to think anymore regarding my family, and while I wish for the truth...," said Leia, as couldn't finish the sentence, and saw Han nod in understanding.

"You may not like what it is. That the lie was preferred over it and less damaging then the actual truth," said Han, as he saw Leia look at him before smiling, and he could tell she was glad that he understood.

"I just don't know if I can face him again so soon after all that's happened between us. The Death Star, Bespin, and now this with us going to meet again for what feels like a strange family reunion," said Leia, as she felt Han come over to her, and give her a warm comforting embrace.

"Hey now, its all right. You have me, Chewie, and for the most part Lando backing you up here. Luke will make sure that dear old dad behaves himself and I doubt he's going to do anything with the Noghri around either," said Han, as he was just now getting use to their silent presence on his ship, and found they didn't mind being cramped on his ship for the time being.

"I know. But what concerns me is Luke. How will he take this? I mean Vader tortured me without mercy on the Death Star while cutting off his son's own hand! How can I simply throw away everything he did to us and treat Darth Vader like he was my Father?" said Leia, as she felt torn in all of this, and wanted answers to so many things.

"Just take it one step at a time. If we don't do this, then you might regret it forever, and personally...I think these Noghri want you to get to know him too," said Han, as he had talked to the Noghri about this when he heard Leia had fainted into her chair, and had demanded answers to why she fainted.

He nearly fainted himself at the news about Leia's parentage.

"All right, but if I don't like what I hear, I'm going to shoot Vader, and you have Chewie keep Luke pinned down so he can't stop me," said Leia, as she saw him smirk at her, and laughed at the thought of Luke being tackled by the Wookiee.

(_The_ _Executor_-1 Week Later)

Luke looked at his new Lightsaber in his hand, as he stood in his Father's training room that the Sith Lord himself used for keeping his strength going. Darth Vader himself was watching from the sidelines, as his son faced off against a fencing droid with a Lightsaber for a hand, and was ready to fight the young Force User in training.

'I hope this thing works or this will be the most quickest duel in Galactic history,' thought Luke, as he thumbed on his Lightsaber, and it came to life revealing a red blade to his opponent with the same color too.

"Use the Force with your movements. Let it guide your hands to block and counter your opponent's blade," said Vader, as he saw his son begin his duel with the droid, and the droid was putting up a descent fight considering Luke's skill level with a Lightsaber.

Still, Vader felt a sense of pride at Luke's progress, as the Force practically sang through his body, and it was a soothing song in the Sith Lord's opinion. When the boy wasn't in the workshop making his Lightsaber, Luke was practicing his Force powers, and his own connection to the Force itself.

The two even spent time meditating together with Luke's room being right next to his so they could communicate easier along with continue their training at the same time. It had done wonders for them, as Vader was able to manifest himself during the meditations into what he looked like before Mustafar, and got to show Luke just how skilled he was in that form.

Though for Luke, sparring in Force Meditation, and sparring for real was different in his opinion so it was only natural that there was a seeable difference in his Lightsaber skill when facing the droid. Granted, he did gain some much needed muscle mass, and there was a noticeable difference from what he looked like several years ago from when he was back on the Homestead. However, it took more then muscle to push back this droid, and Luke was determined to get stronger to overthrow the Emperor when the time was right.

It had been a discussion that had come up in their meditations, as Luke wanted to know what would happen once the Emperor was killed, and his Father told him how he had a vision of where the Empire should be heading. Right now, the Alliance was preventing the Sith Lord from creating the needed plans to destroy his old Master, and rule the Empire how it was meant to be ruled.

An Empire that would be firm, yet it would be fair, and people would love it once new policies were put in place.

Luke thought about his Father's plans, as he knew the Empire in its current state was filled with cruel, corrupt officials, and only his Father had the power to remove them. Still, the politics behind this would be dangerous, and they needed someone with an in-depth experience in that field they could trust to handle that matter.

Luke's thoughts on the choice for that left him, as they had been partially distracting, and refocused on his Lightsaber duel with the droid before countering the droid with a quick parry that resulted in his opponent losing the Lightsaber holding arm. Wiping the sweat off his forehead he didn't even know he had, Luke turned to his Father seeing the man nod his head in approval at his work while sensing the boy was a bit confused in regards to the future of the Empire running through the young blonde's head, and the need to know more about it.

"You are concerned for our plan against the Emperor and the politics required to bring the Empire under control in the aftermath of it," said Vader, as his words were more statement then a question, and Luke nodded since they had been.

"I'm not one for politics. Leia is the only one I know that could do that," said Luke, as he sensed his Father flinch behind his mask, and knew the man was hating himself for that.

"She takes after your Mother in that regard. I would sometimes joke with Padme that she was the 'Jedi Master of politics' and could persuade people easier then any Jedi Master using the Mind Trick could," said Vader, as he heard Luke laugh at that, but after a while the young blonde became serious, and put a hand on his Father's shoulder.

"We will find a way to tell Leia about her connection to us Father. Trust me," said Luke, as he saw his Father nod, and they left the room together before Admiral Piett came to see them.

"Lord Vader sir, we detected a small Freighter Class ship on our scopes, and we learned it is the _Millennium Falcon_. They hailed us and want to be given permission to board saying they wish to speak with the two of you my Lord," said Piett seeing Lord Vader and Luke look at each other slightly before the Dark Lord nodded.

"Have them meet us in my private hanger section. No guards will be needed," said Vader, as he saw the Admiral nod his head, and left to carry out his orders.

(_The Executor_ Hanger Section-Minutes Later)

Luke and Vader watched, as the _Millennium Falcon_ made its way into the docking bay, and landed smoothly into the massive hanger bay that held several classic fighter class starships from the Clone Wars. Luke was wondering why the _Falcon_ would be here, as he was sure that Han would rather upset Jabba the Hutt again then come back here, and he had some serious doubts in seeing Han in an Imperial uniform again.

Luke just couldn't see Han as a Stormtrooper.

At least not officially anyway.

When the _Millennium Falcon's_ ramp lowered fully, the sound of footsteps could be heard with the appearance of the Noghri, followed by Chewie, a pair of familiar droids with the taller one being his usual hysterical self, a slightly nervous Lando, and Han Solo with a grin on the smuggler's face.

"Hey kid!" said Han with his usual cocky self, as he saw Luke smile back at him, and had to make sure to keep eye contact on his friend rather then the imposing presence of the Sith Lord.

"Hi Han. I take it you're here to drop off the Noghri after freeing them from Madine's interrogation," said Luke, as he saw Han smile at him before looking over the Noghri bowing at his Father's feet speaking in their native tongue that Vader understood, and the Sith Lord commanding them to rise.

"There is that and there is someone on the _Falcon_ who wants to talk to you along with your...Father," said Han, as he decided to get serious about this, and saw Luke look at his Father before looking at the _Falcon_ with concern.

'She knows about us Father,' thought Luke, as he was referring to all three of them being family, and Vader mentally agreed though the Noghri had told him upon their arrival in their native tongue.

"She's not exactly happy right now. I mean she was for a while, but then she kind of broke down, and started crying about how everything she thought she knew was a lie," said Han, as he saw Vader tighten his hands into fists, and the smuggler thought the Sith Lord was going to take it out on him.

"We can't put this off any longer son," said Vader, as he put a hand on Luke's shoulder, and the blonde gave him a nod before they both walked towards Han's ship.

When the two entered the ship, they saw Leia sitting in a chair deep in her own thoughts with tears running down her face, and when she looked up at them a lot of her emotions could be felt. She was confused, angry, curious, and in a way...hopeful?

"Hi Leia," said Luke, as he now mentally kicked himself for just saying that, and looked to his Father to successfully break the ice.

"You know the truth about your family," said Vader, as he saw her glare at him just like Padme use to, and then at Luke for a second before it softened when she gave a nod.

"When did you learn the truth?" said Luke, as he saw Leia tell them how she freed the Noghri, and upon leaving the Rebel Fleet was told about the family connection before she fainted.

"I see. We only learned about it ourselves from Master Yoda," said Vader, as he saw Leia look up at him with a start, and heard his explanation of how Luke told him where to find the old Jedi Master for answers concerning Padme's death that resulted in learning of Leia's family connection to them.

"So you didn't know when you...you...," said Leia, as she felt some form of relief, and something else she couldn't put her finger on.

"No. Had I known, I would have done things a lot differently, and would never have done what happened on the Death Star," said Vader, as the memory hurt like it did for Leia, and Luke could sense his Father was telling the truth.

Leia looked up at her..._Father_ sensing something from him in terms of truth in his words and looked to Luke see extend his hand to her before she took it. She got out of her chair and hugged Luke while crying at this strange situation since all she had known about her family had been a lie up until now. She felt the cold dark hand from her biological Father on her shoulder, its hold on her was similar to what he did on the Death Star, but unlike the feeling it gave her back then, Leia felt a sense of comfort, and that Vader was sorry for what he had done to her.

"What happens now?" said Leia, as she looked at them both, and they told her about how they were going to kill the Emperor in order to take throne before changing things within the Empire that will help the Alliance in the long run to the point of them merging to help bring peace to the Galaxy.

"Let me guess, you want me to handle the politics? Well, I do know the arena, and I'm the only one here qualified to deal with it," said Leia, as she had nothing else to do since her time in the Alliance was now over, and Madine was no doubt calling her a traitor too.

"I know were asking a lot of you Leia, but you have to admit that with Emperor gone, the chance for peace throughout the Galaxy has a greater chance of happening with Father on the throne at least until the Senate can be reformed, and only you have the means to help get that part of the plan off the ground. Father can keep the Moffs, Admirals, Generals, and other power hungry high ranking officers in the Imperial military from trying to rise to power," said Luke, as he knew that even when Father took the throne, there were many within the Emperor's "inner circle" that would love to take the old man's title.

"Okay. But how will this work for Han? Or Chewie for that matter?" said Leia, as she felt the need to be concerned for her _extended_ family, and saw Luke look at their Father.

"For the time being, Solo along with the Wookiee will be under my protection, and will be assisting you in any matters that require you to leave my ship," said Vader, as he knew that there would come a time where they would have to leave his ship, and the smuggler's own would have to do.

"What about Lando? I saw him out there and he looked kind of scared," said Luke, as he saw Leia smirk before frowning, and seemed to be in thought about the man.

"I'm still mad at Lando for selling us out to Han, but I think a few more hours here will make me feel better," said Leia, as she gave her brother, and Father a devious look that made Luke laugh while sensing some form of amusement from the Sith Lord.

Leia made a mental note to learn about the Force too since it was clear she now had the connection that had been dormant within her for so long.

(Coruscant-The Imperial Palace)

"You summoned me my Master?," said the alluring voice of one Mara Jade, as she knelt at the steps that led to the Emperor's throne, and awaited his voice to command her like it always had.

"Yes my Hand, I have sensed a great disturbance through the Force, and I need you to infiltrate the _Executor _in order to monitor young Skywalker's abilities along with making sure that my old apprentice is kept in line," said the Emperor, as he was sensing a great deal through the Force, and it felt like his doom was fast approaching because of it.

And the Emperor couldn't allow that.

"As you command my Emperor," said Mara, as she left immediately to carry out her mission, and with a smile on her face that indicated she was going to enjoy this one.

To those that met the Emperor's Hand, it was no secret to them that she felt second to Darth Vader, and that if anyone deserved to be the Emperor's one true apprentice...it was her. To Mara Jade, the imposing form of Darth Vader while powerful, was a crippled man, and would never surpass her Master.

To Mara Jade, she was the only one worthy of surpassing the Emperor, and that was her without a doubt in her red haired mind.

As for the Emperor himself, he cared nothing for Jade just as he cared little for Vader, and would only use her until she was useless to him. In fact, he cared little for any of his apprentices, but taught them anyway to test each one to see how long he could control them before setting in motion their downfall, and find a new more interesting apprentice to fill the space.

This time, it would be the son of his current _crippled_ apprentice since the boy's strength in the Force was clearly greater then even the Father, and the Emperor was going to take great pleasure in manipulating one so powerful that one day could rival him.

However, before that fateful day could come, he needed to take care of some unfinished business with a _mistake_ that was currently spying for him on the main ship within the Rebel Fleet. Punching in a few key strokes into his Comm. system on his throne, the Sith Master, and Emperor of the Galactic Empire brought up the image of his shadowed spy trying to prove himself worthy of his majesty.

"You have news for me my..._spy_?" said the Emperor, as his voice sounded like he was disappointed when in fact he didn't care for his one time mistake, and sensed the man was holding in his anger.

"My..._Emperor_, I have learned that Princess Leia has left the Alliance with her lover Han Solo, and has even freed Vader's Noghri from their holding cells. She has been branded a traitor, which has severely weakened the morale of the Alliance even further after the news of Skywalker's heritage became known to Rebel's Command Structure. Only the main Rebel Leaders have been able to keep them from falling apart and keeping the number of deserters down," said the muffled voice, as he saw the Emperor nod at this news, and then smiled at his spy.

"You have done well for once my servant. Perhaps, I was right not to crush your infant body with a simple move of the Force when you were younger, and for your constant failures at what I tried to teach you," said the Emperor and smiled further at the rage this insect that served was producing inside his being after being reminded of his _weakness_.

"I live to serve you my...Emperor," said the spy, as he was going to say something else, but corrected himself before hand, and saw the Emperor's eyes narrow at him.

"Be mindful of your choice of words my spy. Whether you speak them out loud or in your head, I will hear them, and I don't want you calling me _that_ name ever again!" said the Emperor, as he had read the spy's mind, and the word the man wanted to say out loud before changing it to Emperor.

"Yes my Emperor," said the spy, as he knew the Sith Master's wrath was vengeful, and without remorse when it came to _teaching_ his subordinates lessons.

"Good. Use your influence in the Rebel's Command Structure to plan an attack on young Skywalker, but do not start the attack without my approval, and make sure that the boy is not entirely damaged that he can't be useful to me later," said the Emperor, as he sensed his spy become angry at that, but kept the anger in check, and would comply with the orders given.

"As you command my Emperor," said the spy before the image faded away and the Sith Master snarled at the thoughts he picked up from his..._spy_!

'You are trying so hard to earn my favor, but you should know now my _son_, that I do not favor anyone in this Galaxy, and will kill anyone that stands in my way. Especially, a weak little thing like you, who can't even use the Force, and are too much like that bitch of a Mother that sired you,' thought the Emperor, as he snarled with a dark hate in his soul for ever letting that child of his live, and decided to try training him in the Force.

Oh, how a disappointment the child was to him from day one, only the Emperor could understand, and hated his son for it.

The boy was an accident pure and simple. Having been sired back in the Emperor's naive days a few years after he had killed his own Sith Master, which was the Sith way when it came to the "Rule of Two", and set in motion the other half of it by Darth Bane roughly a one millennia ago. He had met this simple, stupid woman one night in a bar, and she had come onto him thinking she could seduce him with her natural beauty.

What the woman didn't know was she had tried to seduce that evening a creature of pure darkness before it was too late for her to turn back. By the time it was over, the woman had been poisoned by the intense dark energies from the Dark Side of the Force, and her womb was unable to produce any children after the Sith Master's child was brought into the world.

The side effect from this backlash of such Dark Side Force energy seemed cause the boy she brought into this world to be unable to use the Force despite who the boy's Father was. For a short time, the Emperor, who was at the time a Republic Senator didn't think anything of what he had done during that time, and began his subtle manipulation of the Galactic Republic to his advantage to bring forth the Clone Wars.

However, by the time the Emperor was the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, things had changed when one of his most loyal agents at the time told him of a boy wishing to speak with him in regards to his parentage, and wanted to claim his own rightful place in power. At first, the Emperor was pleased by his son's ambitions, but after seeing the boy had no Force potential was soon outraged by it, and cast down the weak thing before him in the process.

However, the boy wished to prove he was useful without even the Force by his side, and that he could make his Father proud of him.

Not one to resist the challenge, as well as wanting to take pleasure in seeing his weak son fail him miserably, the Sith Master accepted the boy proposal, and made sure he was a simple agent passing along information from the lower ranks to him.

And So the years went by and before long, the young weak boy became a young yet still weak man within the Imperial Navy within the young years of the Empire's beginning reign over the entire Galaxy. However, the Rebel's kept growing steadily until it became a most significant threat to what he had created, and needed to keep an eye on it with someone on the inside that could maneuver it the way he wanted the Rebel's to move.

It was how he was able to leak information to the Rebel's about his current production of a Second Death Star to get all the Rebels together so he could finish them off in one swift stroke.

That of course would take time since the Rebels were scattered throughout the Galaxy and would need to gather everyone able to fight to stop the construction of his newest creation. Nevertheless, the Emperor didn't mind waiting, and he could hold out a few more Months until it was time for his supposedly _loyal_ servant of a Sith Lord to arrive at the battle station to make sure his workers didn't neglect their duties.

Until then, he would lets the pieces on the board form up on both sides before he let the game begin, and see who among the pieces were left when it was over.

(A/N: YAY! I updated. Bet you never saw what I did with the Emperor, and him having a kid. Who is this son of the Sith Master? Well...I'm not going to tell you! HA! Sorry. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was a bit difficult, but I think it went pretty well. Until next time...PEACE!!!)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5-Point of View

Mara Jade smiled to herself at how she was able to infiltrate the _Executor_ after being put on as one of the members of the maintenance crew needed for the massive Super Star Destroyer. The need for the group she was with was valid for the impressive warship of the Empire, as it had required countless upgrades over the years, and need such crews to come aboard temporarily when away from one of the select few shipyards that could handle the maintenance of a Super Star Destroyer.

All Mara had to do was keep her Force signature low, her head down at all times, and at times watch Skywalker from afar to see just how strong he had become. It was unlike her Master to fear Skywalker in such a fashion when he dispatched her to investigate the boy's Force strength. Mara knew that Skywalker had great potential in the Force that far surpassed her own, as she had sensed his presence long before the shuttle she was on docked with the _Executor_, and if it wasn't for the fact that he didn't know about her being on the ship...it would have crushed her if he willed it.

Also, there was Darth Vader's presence to consider too, as his was much darker by far then the boy's, and still more powerful too. She had met the Dark Lord on more then one occasion, as it was sometime required when the operations each one did for the Emperor intertwined however rarely that may be, and aside from the Emperor was more powerful then anyone she had ever known in the Force. It had actually frightened Mara at first, as the realization of Vader in the suit being handicapped, and yet was second in strength only to the Emperor.

If whatever event that caused the Sith Lord being handicapped not occurred, Vader would have long surpassed the Emperor, and things would be a lot different then they are now.

'But they are not like that and I still serve the current Emperor,' thought Mara, as she went about the ship like her "job" entailed, and decided to see just what Skywalker was up to.

(With Leia, Han, Lando, and Chewbacca)

"I can't believe I'm now helping the very man I once hated and he's my Father no less!" said Leia, as she had been given living quarters aboard the _Executor_, and was right next to the others currently in her room.

"It could be worse?" said Han, as he tried to give Leia comfort over the fact she was now helping Darth Vader, _her Father_ of all people overthrow the Emperor, and trust that he will keep his word on the matter of restoring the Republic to its old self.

"How could it even be worse?" said Lando, as he looked at his old friend with a raised eyebrow, and Chewie was wondering that too.

"Her Grandfather could be the Emperor," said Han, who was rewarded with a elbow to the ribs, and smack to the head by Chewie.

"While that is worse, do not mention it again, or else I'll hit you where it _really_ hurts," said Leia, as she gave Han a look that made the former smuggler nod his head, and wondered if she got that look from her Mother or her Father.

"Tough crowd," mumbled Han, as he glared at Chewie for smacking him on the head, and the Wookiee merely laughed at him.

(With Mara)

The Emperor's Hand made her way to one of the many training decks the _Executor_ had to offer, as she found this was the one Skywalker was using for his training, and found him facing several battle droids equipped with Lightsabers. Watching carefully from within the shadows, Mara used her training taught to her by the Emperor, and saw the Force user was pretty well skilled with his Lightsaber.

'Vader has trained him well,' thought Mara, as she saw Skywalker slicing through several droids easily before fighting off the last one with more effort, and the Emperor's Hand for some reason let her eyes examine the young man's body while he trained.

At the moment, Skywalker was wearing black pants, a white t-shirt currently dampening in sweat during this training session, and had blue eyes that seemed to have a strange hypnotic pull. Instantly, Mara brought herself out of it before scowling, and mentally berating herself for not focusing on her mission. Sure Skywalker was attractive, but that was it, and Mara knew that her mission came first over daydreaming.

No matter how pleasant the daydreaming is.

"You can come out now," said Luke, as he had just finished the last droid, and turned to look at where Mara was.

'How did he know?' thought Mara, as she was sure she hid her Force signature, and if he learned of her presence then did Vader already know too?

"You aren't very good at shielding your thoughts," said Luke, as he had heard them, and while their was some shielding...it had been child's play to get around it.

"Perhaps. The Emperor did always tell me my shields needed work, but he never did teach me how, and I think that was the point all along," said Mara, as she stepped out of the shadows, and had a smile on her face while taking off the maintenance crew hat she wore to let her hair down.

"My Father warned me about women like you. Especially one's trained secretly by the Emperor to be his pawn until she's not worthy of his sight," said Luke, as he had heard all about Mara from his Father, and the truth behind her past with the cruel Sith Master.

"Watch your mouth! I'm more skilled then you are boy and I can use those skills to make you perish," said Mara, as she frowned at the insult, and brought out her own Lightsaber that when ignited revealed her purple blade.

"Perhaps, but then again, I seriously doubt that the Emperor will want that since he feels I should be his new apprentice, and keep you at a distance," said Luke, as he felt a strong pull with this woman, and the Force seemed to...shiver?

"You are not worthy of being his apprentice. Nor is that abomination that is Darth Vader worthy because he will never surpass the Emperor like I could!" said Mara, as she moved at him, and began to show why she was the Emperor's Hand.

To Luke's credit, he had been practicing for some time on droids with the difficulty level increasing moderately during his training, an was slightly tired from it. Not only that, but the Noghri had taught him hand to hand combat earlier in the day for some time now, and helped him use skills many Jedi years before him had not incorporate into their training. Mara was fresh, focused, and had more time to hone her skills over the years then he did. The only edge he had was his strength in the Force right now, which while higher then Mara's was not being used aggressively like his current opponent in front of him, and Luke found himself bordering on the line of offensive to defensive.

It was almost fun for Luke if Mara didn't have that look in her eyes to kill him.

"If that's how you really feel, then you will be happy to know, I don't want to be the Emperor's apprentice, and as for Darth Vader...you should be more respectful to my Father like that," said Luke, as he used the shock Mara had to push things in his favor before he was able to disarm the woman of her blade, and point his at her throat.

By this point, Darth Vader had come into the room, his Lightsaber activated, and his Force presence signified that he was not happy.

"I should have known the Emperor would have sent you Jade. Fortunately, my son was skilled enough to defeat you in his slightly tired condition, and at the same time spared you _my_ wrath with a Lightsaber," said Vader, as he was not pleased with the Emperor's Hand infiltrating _his_ ship, and trying to kill _his_ son for that purpose.

"The Emperor knew you would try to usurp his rule using your..._son_ against him and sent me to monitor his progress. Unfortunately, your prized _offspring_ managed to detect, and provoke me into attacking him," said Mara, as she knew lying to Vader was stupid, and only speaking the truth would send the Sith Lord's attention away from hurting her if only for a short time.

"And he was right! My son will help in destroying your precious Master and I will do what I should have done a long time ago," said Vader, as he let the Force swell all around him, and it made Mara bite back the remark she wanted to say right now.

It made Mara remember her Master's words.

_"Lord Vader is not to be underestimated my Hand. Even in his crippled condition, my old apprentice has had countless Jedi fall at his hands, and most of them were well respected Masters of the Force. I could train you to your fullest potential my sweet Jade and even then your power would still not be up to par with his own."_

It was hard for Mara to tell if the Emperor was lying in order to prevent her from fighting the Sith Lord in the distant future or telling the truth to further instill that she was always be secretly ranked number three within the Empire. However, Mara felt that despite what the Emperor said, she _could_ surpass Darth Vader if she really tried, and take her rightful place at the old man's side. For some time, Mara had wished to continue her lessons with the Emperor while Vader was off on some mission, but just recently the Sith Master had come to the conclusion that her skills were strong enough for the moment, and would continue to train her when _he_ felt she needed it.

What Mara didn't know was that like all other sentient beings in the Galaxy, the Emperor did not feel women were capable outside of being loyal assassins, or being conceivers for the next generation for him to mold. The Emperor hated all things, but loved to see them suffer just as much, and would destroy anything that had the power to defeat him.

She was a loyal dog on a leash of a lovable Master and had yet to realize that the man she served would destroy her on a whim if he thought it would entertain him for even a small second.

But Vader knew.

"Your thoughts betray you Mara Jade. You think that by continuing to serve the Emperor with fanatical devotion, he will cast me down along with my son, and make you his knew apprentice. You are wrong. The Emperor will never make you his apprentice, as he sees women to be used for little less then tools that will be thrown away when they are useless to him, and will use your loyalty against you," said Vader, as he saw Mara scowl at him in disbelief, and would have gotten off the ground if it weren't for the son holding his Lightsaber near her throat.

"You lie!" said Mara, as she wished she could reach for the blaster tucked away behind her back, and blast that respiratory system on Vader's suit.

"I _never_ lie!" said Vader, as he used the Force, and made her see images from within his memories of a moment in time where he talked about Mara's future with the Emperor.

(Flashback-A Few Years Ago)

"Why do you make Jade feel special my Master? You know the Rule of Two will never allow her to be your apprentice," said Vader, as he had seen Mara leave for a mission given to her by the Emperor, and was now standing beside the man in the gardens of the Imperial Palace.

"She is useful my old friend. Let Mara Jade have her delusions Lord Vader. Her parents were reluctant if not right to protest in letting her go when I first discovered her potential, but they were dealt with soon after," said the Emperor, as he remembered sending out a bounty hunter to wipe out the family, and make it look like a robbery gone bad before killing the bounty hunter afterwards so there was no money trail.

"One day she may realize that you will not allow her to be the apprentice you want her to be my Master," said Vader, as he knew full well what betrayal does to a false apprentice, and it could effect the Emperor if he wasn't careful.

"When that day comes Lord Vader, I expect you to remove Mara Jade from my Empire _permanently_, and without mercy like you always do," said the Emperor, as he saw his apprentice nod in understanding, and smiled with his old rotting teeth showing in the process.

(End Flashback)

"Stop! Stop it!" said Mara, as she tried to banish the moment from her mind, but Vader wouldn't stop, and pressed further in replaying the memory into her mind.

Luke backed away, as Mara screamed while rolling on the ground clutching her head, and cursing in several different languages at the Dark Lord. The action got the attention of Leia and the others, as Luke's twin had sensed Mara's pain before rushing to where her brother was to see what their Father was doing.

"You must see the truth behind the Emperor's lies. You are nothing to the Emperor and will be as long as you loyally serve him," said Vader, as he continued his mental assault on Mara Jade, and her attempts to repel him through the Force.

"Stop it! The pain is too much," said Mara, as she found herself in tears, and the truth of the Emperor not caring about her well being was destroying the bond she had with the Sith Master.

"Luke you have to stop him. He could kill her!" said Leia, as she could feel the woman's pain through the Force thanks to being so close to her brother, and saw some form of Dark Side connection around her being broken.

"She was sent by the Emperor to monitor my progress for the Emperor and possibly kill me if deemed a threat to him Leia," said Luke, as he the Dark Side of the Force had been centered around the woman's mind, and saw it seemed to hinder her more then hurt.

"So he's helping her?!" said Leia, as she didn't believe it for a second, and saw Luke look at her with blue eyes that told her to trust their Father.

"Yes. If you look carefully at her mind, you can see the Dark Side surrounds her mind, which is also blocking her true potential, and is only letting her access what the Emperor wants her to have access through the Force," said Luke, as he saw the unnatural barriers beginning to break, and the true potential the woman had leaking through.

As for Mara herself, she continued thrash on the ground, and tried to hold onto her own reality of the Emperor being the surrogate loving Father she had made him out to be. The illusion that she held onto however, was instantly shattered, as Mara was forced to see the horrible truth, and collapsed into unconsciousness when the last of the Dark Side barriers around her mind were finally broken.

"Admiral Piett, this is Luke Skywalker, I need you to send a medic team down here, and prepare the doctors and medical droids to receive a patient," said Luke speaking into his comlink to the Admiral, and knew the man would understand in following orders.

"Orders are acknowledged sir. The medic team is on the way," said Admiral Piett through Luke's comm.

"What do you intend to do with her, Father?" said Luke, as he walked over to the man, and then down at Mara's unconscious yet still crying form.

"Jade will be under guard while recovering from the revelation of the Emperor's betrayal and when she awakens...must make the choice of staying loyal to or denouncing my old Master," said Vader, as he turned to Luke, and saw his son seemed to be drawn to the redheaded woman.

"That's good. When I was fighting her, I felt the Force acting strange, and yet it seemed so natural when I felt it shiver," said Luke, as he saw his Father turn fully to him, and that meant what he said held some significance.

"Did you say the Force _shivered_?" said Vader, as stared at his son with his voice having surprise on it, and how the past seemed to come back full circle from a certain point of view.

"Yes. It was weird. In fact, it was how I was able to sense her in the first place. When we dueled, the shiver got stronger with each attack, and it felt like we were...bonding!" said Luke, as he knew it felt strange, but that was the only way to describe it, and from what he could understand...his Father seemed to know what he was talking about.

"That was how I felt...with your Mother," said Vader, as he slowly walked away from his son, and moved himself to his own world.

A world where Padme's memory still lived. Where she smiled at him. Where she called him Ani and he called her Angel.

Instantly, Vader left that world, and refocused on the present with his children staring at him in shock like they had seen that world he had entered. By that point the medical team had arrived and began taking Mara Jade to the medical bay of the _Executor_ to be treated for her condition.

Without another word, the Dark Lord left them to be alone, and to meditate on this new development to see if the Force was trying to make history repeat itself in a different manner.

(A/N: YAY! I updated. Hope you enjoyed this. I felt it was time to update this. Until next time...PEACE!!!)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6-Decisions and Shivers

Luke watched the unconscious red haired woman known as Mara Jade now sleeping in the room his Father had prepared with Noghri guards to watch her just in case she tried anything. His Father had originally wanted to put her in the Detention Center of the Super Star Destroyer, but Luke had told the Sith Lord that he could handle her, and to let him talk with the troubled woman. Leia had also shown concern for her brother's welfare in this matter considering Mara Jade's reputation despite how much of it was considered to be rumors. However, Luke could feel the Force telling him that he should stay with Mara, and had to trust it in order to find out why it seemed to shiver between them.

Han thought Luke was crazy, going so far as to say the Force was trying to get the kid killed, and Lando was in agreement since Mara Jade was not someone you can simply let your guard down for just because an all powerful "Force" tells you too. Luke didn't listen to them though and only agreed to having the Noghri watch over Mara with him in a less imprisoning environment.

'She shivers with the Force when I'm around her. What does it mean? Father seemed to be conflicted in answering my question about why the Force would do such a thing. Its like the Force is telling me she is the one! But how can that be? I mean...shouldn't I know before anything else?' thought Luke, as he studied the woman before him, and saw Mara moan out lightly with her body now stirring slightly under the covers before.

'What hit me? I remember fighting Skywalker, _losing_ to him of all things, and then Vader appeared...,' thought Mara before the memory the Dark Lord had shoved down her mental throat about the Emperor using her for his own purposes and then throwing her away like she was nothing came up.

"You're finally awake I see," said Luke, as he saw Mara sit up with the sheet wrapped around her before seeing she was still fully clothed, but without her weapons, and saw the Noghri in the room ready to take her down should she try anything.

"Where am I?" said Mara, as she found herself in a room that was not part of the SSD _Executor_ Detention Center area, and saw Luke smirking at her like it was some kind of joke.

"You sound surprised you're here instead of someplace else?" said Luke, as he saw her scowl at him, and heard the growling of the Noghri with weapons ready to fire at the woman should she decide to get jumpy.

"To be honest, I fully expected Vader to kill me, and then throw my body right out of the airlock like so many other officers that have failed him," said Mara, as she saw Luke wince at that since his Father did have that reputation, and heard him sigh at the mention of it.

"Yes my Father does have his moments, but from what I understand, he only does it to the most incompetent of officers since they can possibly risk the ship, and men that serve him," said Luke, as he saw Mara look at him with wide eyes, and then pointing at him with an accusing finger.

"You told that to me before when we dueled! How can you call that crippled man your Father? After all he's done!" said Mara, as she was no celestial being herself, but she didn't do half the stuff Vader had, and now this boy she was facing was the Sith Lord's own son.

"Because he's my Father. Simple as that. I know he's done a lot of damage to the Galaxy just as you have done your own fair share of it, but we both know that he only did it on the command of the Emperor, and has been lied to by the man just like you were," said Luke, as he saw Mara snarl at him, and would have made an attempt to strike him had it not been for the Noghri looking for the smallest of excuses to take her down.

"That monster made it up! Vader faked that memory of the Emperor wishing me to be discarded like some broken blaster," said Mara, as she looked into Luke's eyes, and felt something in her shiver deeply when looking at the blue eyes before her.

"Really? Then how do you explain the sudden increase in your connection to the Force? The Emperor put a Dark Side based barrier around your mind that only he could control at will basically control your connection to the Force as easily as turning the switch of a glow lamp on or off," said Luke, as he felt the pull within the Force yet again, and it seemed to scream at him that he was to be with her.

"Shut up! You're lying! All Sith lie!" said Mara, as she clutched her head, and tried to ignore his words regardless of the truth they held.

"If that is the case, then you should not that the Emperor is a Sith too, and by your words he is also a liar," said Luke, as he saw Mara look at him with shock in her eyes, and then anger at his words since it was clear that she felt some cling of loyalty to the Emperor.

"GET OUT!" yelled Mara, as she pointed to door behind him, and saw Luke's eyes held a form of sadness in them that for some reason hurt her.

"I want to talk to you later. I know you can feel what I'm feeling in the Force and if the Emperor taught you anything is that you should follow it above all else," said Luke, as he left the room with the Noghri staying to keep watch inside while another set were outside the room.

Mara snarled and threw the pillow at him even though she knew it wouldn't hit him even if she used the Force to make the object go faster before letting her upper body collapse onto the bed. Turning her head at the Noghri in the room, she glared at them in the hopes they would leave, but she had to remind herself that they were warriors, and servants of Darth Vader that never failed the Sith Lord. The only ones that could make them kneel was Darth Vader and right now _her_ glare to them was as about as intimidating as a that of Tsuken Raider's war cry aimed at an angry Rancor.

Turning her face away from them, Mara felt like an angry child at her actions, but felt they were warranted for what Vader's son told her, and while their seemed to be truth to his words...she just couldn't face it right now.

'He's right about one thing. I do feel a stronger connection in the Force then I have before in all my years serving the Emperor. Could he be right? Was I nothing more then a mere puppet to the man I served without question up until now? Just a tool? An extension of his being that serves him so long as I have a purpose in his eyes?' thought Mara, as she used the Force to bring the pillow to her bed while the Noghri watched cautiously at her actions, and continued to watch as she buried her face in the pillow to give herself _some_ privacy.

(Executor-The Bridge)

Whether he was Anakin Skywalker or Darth Vader, the man behind the mask had always enjoyed looking out at the stars, and found them to be most soothing to stare at. It was like the Force would echo from each star, slowly sending their cosmic energy to him, and whispering in a language that he couldn't understand yet understood at the same time.

"What are you thinking about?" said Leia, as she approached him, and ignored the looks she was getting from some of the officers staring at her since they knew who she was.

"Many things. What could have been. What _should_ have been. What I've lost. And...what I have found," said Vader, as turned to look at Leia, and saw she was still having trouble looking at him since he did spearhead the interrogation of her on the Death Star.

"Since coming here, I've wanted to ask you something, but I know its personal for you, and in a way it is for me too," said Leia, as she saw him turn fully to face her, and felt like she was asking death in its physical form for an answer to a question it may or may not want to answer..

"About your Mother," said Vader, as he could read her mind to that much of a degree, and how his daughter knew she was adopted since she was 10 years old though kept the fact that she knew from Bail.

"Yes. I've seen her in my mind when I was a child. She was happy, but sometimes she was sad, and I could never understand the reason," said Leia, as she saw her Father look away, and she could sense that he was debating on what to tell her.

"The Clone Wars was a very stressful time for us. She was always happy to see me upon my return, but sad when I was sent off to a life threatening mission, and then the fear of our relationship being discovered also loomed on the horizon," said Vader, as he saw his daughter look at him in shock, and the fact that they hid their love from everyone around them.

"It was a secret?" said Leia, as she suspected, but to hear it from her Father himself was something else entirely, and sensed grief in him.

"A secret that killed. Do you know that Jedi cannot marry? Cannot love? That Jedi were practically forbidden to be Fathers or Mothers? That the mere idea of even forming an _attachment_ to another outside of apprenticeship is blasphemous in eyes of the Jedi Code? I loved your Mother from the moment I met her when I was child and long after even when she died giving birth you and Luke. I have _never stopped loving _your Mother and I will swear that to you no matter what!" said Vader, as his hands clenched to the point where had they been real, would have been bleeding, and he would bee feeling pain.

Then again, Vader was always feeling pain throughout his body, and this would most likely have been ignored.

"I never knew. When my..._adopted_ Father spoke of Jedi, he never mentioned anything about such things being forbidden, or anything even remotely close to that topic," said Leia, as she wondered if being with Han was even possible now, and the same with Luke being with that certain someone if he ever met the woman.

"Bail Organa never knew because we made sure no one ever did know about us living together. Had the Jedi Order discovered our relationship, I would have been cut off from the Force by the Jedi, and expelled from the Order. Eventually the news would be out with all our enemies from the Clone Wars sending their loyal servants after us to exact their revenge while the Jedi ignored us like we were yesterdays Holo-Net news," said Vader, as he knew that during the Clone Wars he had made many enemies, and Padme had many more from wanting peace to end.

Padme could survive, but Vader knew that he could not, and his children would be taken from him the instant they showed Force potential whether he wanted them to go or not.

"You don't know that," said Leia, as she always believed that Jedi were understanding, and use diplomacy first before using the Lightsaber.

"I didn't? You don't know the Jedi Order like I do my daughter. They speak half-truths and riddles when they want to keep secrets from you. Remember what Obi-wan told Luke regarding me? He wanted Luke to kill me, but knew that if Luke knew I was his Father that my son would not have the courage do it, and would try to use reason rather then a blade. The same for you and Bail keeping everything about your real family a secret knowing that the truth would change everything he had done to keep you as his own child," said Vader, as he would _never_ forgive Obi-wan for that, and wished the old man was alive now so he could kill him all over again.

"That would make sense. I was always told I had a flare for politics, which from what I've come to understand about my family tree I got from my Mother, and that means Luke had inherited your side of the family," said Leia, as she didn't want to see her brother turn into some ruthless Sith Lord like her Father, and sensed the man next her knew what she was feeling too.

"Luke has much of both his parents inside of him just as you do Leia. Do not be afraid of your heritage and learning all that you can from it. I sense you are afraid to use the Force, but you must conqueror your fear, and trust in yourself to make the right decisions that comes with that power," said Vader, as he went to check on Luke, and see how things were going with Mara Jade.

'I know I shouldn't be afraid of the Force, but after seeing Vader, and Luke using it...how can I not?' thought Leia, as she looked out at the stars, and wished she could listen to the Force like the rest of the family could.

Though in order to do that, Leia also knew she would need training from them, and the thought of learning the Force from the Dark Lord of the Sith was not very...appealing.

(With Luke-Training Room)

Luke sat mediating on the events that happened with Mara, as he found her to be quite enticing even if she currently hated his guts, and still had some form of loyalty to the Emperor. He was sure that would stop once Mara had some time to herself, as he knew that she was a smart woman, and while the truth hurt...the lie hurt much worse.

"Jade is not being as cooperative as you thought she would," said Vader, as he came into the training room, and saw his son trying to search for answers in the Force.

"She's trying to come to terms with the truth Father. So did I when I found out about our own relationship. What she needs is time," said Luke, as he sensed his Father was not exactly pleased with his answer, but respected the decision all the same, and would let things play out.

"Be warned my son. The Emperor trained Mara Jade to be a skilled assassin to survive even without using the Force and while you have been honing your skills...it could prove to be deadly if you lower your guard with her," said Vader, as left his son to think about this, and do a bit of mediation himself.

'He's right. Even if Mara denounced the Emperor doesn't exactly make her a friend either, but if I don't try then what's the point of even doing anything, or listening to the Force for that matter,' thought Luke, as he sighed at the way things were turning out, and decided to take a breather before paying Mara a visit again to see if she cooled down.

Though he highly doubted it.

(With Mara Jade-Some Time Later)

Mara kept herself covered underneath the bed sheets with the pillow over her flowing red hair to cover her face, as she didn't want the Noghri seeing the tears descending from it. Mara had been hit with the silent realization that everything she had done for the aged Emperor had been all been done in the name of a loyalty founded on lies The very drive Mara had in serving the Emperor to one day stand proudly by his side, as his second-in-command had been halted in a single moment, and destroyed by the very person she was trying to take that position from. Not only that, but the Sith Lord's own _son_ had taken pity on her _the Emperor's Hand_ of all people, and was doing everything to be some kind of ally or _friend_.

Had the whole Galaxy turned itself upside down?

"Still thinking about what we talked about earlier?" said Luke, as he entered the room, and saw the woman's current state on the bed.

If this wasn't so serious, Luke would be tempted to laugh at this, and was still tempted to if the fact that Mara could kill you with a hairpin stopped him. Instead, Luke used the Force to raise the pillow off of Mara's head, and as he expected the woman grabbed it to keep it on her head.

"Go away Skywalker! I don't want to talk to you," said Mara, as she still wasn't ready to face the boy, who for some reason made her feel strange inside, and she didn't know how to feel about it.

"You didn't say please," said Luke, as he finally got the pillow away from Mara with a little more use of the Force, and made it float away from the red haired woman now sitting up looking ready to Force Push him right through the door.

"You're making me really angry Skywalker," as she looked at Luke with anger in her eyes, and saw the Noghri getting ready to fight.

"Could you two leave us alone for a moment. I think Mara and I need to have a personal talk," said Luke, as he looked at the two Noghri, and the two alien warriors looked at him before each other with concern.

"Your Father would disapprove of this Son of Vader," said one of the Noghri, as he did not want anything bad to happen to Lord Vader's son, and bring the wrath of Lord Vader down upon them.

"I'll take full responsibility if anything happens," said Luke, as he saw Mara's sharp green eyes narrow at him, and he knew that she would try something the instant they left the room.

"As you command Son of Vader," said the second Noghri before the two left and it was just the two Force users in the room.

"You are going to regret that Skywalker," said Mara, as she got out of her bed, and glared heavily at the playful blue eyes staring back at her.

"Maybe, but I like to live dangerously," said Luke, as he felt..._alive_ he suppose was the best choice of words here when around this woman, and the Force kept calling out to him to do more.

"More like stupidly!" said Mara, as she tackled him to the ground, but Luke kicked her back, and she grappled with him while he was trying to get back up to prevent just that.

"This coming from the woman, who won't embrace the truth about the Emperor, and still wishes to be his loyal pawn," said Luke, as he saw Mara snarl at him, and was now using the Force to make him submit.

"I'm going to make you eat those words Skywalker and then I'm going to throw what is left of you at your Father's feet!" said Mara, as she felt him resisting her power with his, and became a contest of physical strength along with that of the strength from the Force itself.

"So you do renounce the Emperor?!" said Luke, as he was able to push Mara back though it took considerable effort, and realized this woman's potential was incredible.

"That's none of your business!" said Mara, as she fought back, and kneed Luke in the ribs before spinning the boy onto his back while looking him dead in the eyes.

"I think it is since my Father intends to kill the Emperor and restore order to the Galaxy upon taking the throne," said Luke, as he saw Mara still looking at him with burning eyes with wild hair that acted like it was a living fire that could not be tamed.

"There is nothing wrong with the Empire," said Mara, as she ignored the fact that she was in a very compromising position while on top of Skywalker, and trying to ignore the huge tremors in the Force with each passing second she unknowingly moved her face closer to his own.

"Oh no! If people so much as say one bad thing about the Empire, even so much a joke, they are taken from their homes, and sent to Kessel to work in the spice mines. How is that fair? You yourself have seen the cruelty of the Empire with an Emperor, who has always approved of it, and even now wish to defend despite knowing that its wrong. I can feel your emotions through the Force Mara and I know you know that I am right," said Luke, as he was inches from her face now, and the Force seemed rage around them like an unseen storm howling at the close proximity their faces were now in.

"You...know...nothing!" said Mara, as she feel herself being pulled closer to Luke with each passing second, and it was in that instant the woman known to an elite few as the Emperor's Hand gave into the sudden desire that the Force seemed to be doing everything in its infinite power to make the two do one simple thing.

It was in that very instant, the two Force users looked into each other eyes before they suddenly kissing each other with a passion neither had felt in their life, and it was in that single moment a blast of immense power equivalent to a Supernova went off that seemed to explode from the Force itself.

(YAY! I hope you like that chapter. I felt I should end it there since I couldn't think of anything else to write and seemed like a good place to end it. What do you think? Until next time...PEACE!!!)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7-Father's Children

Vader had felt overwhelmed due to the explosion in the Force that came from within his own ship, as he saw his daughter not that far nearly collapse suddenly out of nowhere, and only the smuggler being there to catch Leia being the reason her face didn't hit steel flooring. As for the Dark Lord, the event itself had triggered memories long ago when he was a different both physically, mentally, and Force alignment too. Back when the Jedi were once many, the Empire was the Republic, and he had been the happy secret husband of a Republic Senator named Padme.

However, unlike those memories that existed in his mind, the explosion within the Force that had occurred now was not because of him, but rather someone else, and the Dark Lord had an idea of the ones responsible for this. Walking with a purpose, Darth Vader made his way to Mara's room to see the sight that was before him of Mara Jade on top of his son, and giving him an intense passionate kiss. In an instant, the Dark Lord used his own power within the Force, and threw Mara Jade off his son with the red haired woman hitting the wall before landing on her room's bed.

As for Luke, the young man was now gasping for air, and acted like he had just come up for it after swimming up to the surface for it. Though considering the Force had nearly drowned him and Mara in its power the feeling seemed to be accurate.

"What do you think you two are doing?" said Vader, as he walked into the room, and flanked by the Noghri that were outside of the room.

To her credit, Mara's face was red from the intensity of it all, and the embarrassment she was now feeling at being caught kissing the son of the Dark Lord of the Sith like some hormonal schoolgirl. She felt caught making out with one of the male cadets in his dorm room at the Coruscant Imperial Academy before they went off to their assigned posts after graduation.

"Trust me Vader, your son put the moves on me, and not the other way around," said Mara, as she was mentally kicking herself since she was normally the seducer, and had the feminine charms needed to distract any male with a healthy libido long enough to get what she wanted.

"Forgive us Lord Vader. Your son wished to speak with Jade in private. We did not think such a thing would happen," said one of the Noghri, as his head along with his fellow kin was now down in shame, and expected there to be some kind of punishment for this.

"Mara's right Father. I started the whole thing and I just went with it because of what the Force was telling me. Ever since I met her, there was this pull, this _shiver_ in the Force, and I couldn't resist it anymore," said Luke, as he saw his Father look at him now while he got off the floor, and looked a bit sheepish if not embarrassed because of it.

For his part, Vader did not know how to handle this since being a parent was knew to him, and even more so when your son is old enough to be in a relationship with a woman. Even if said woman was once one of the Emperor's most trusted hands and could use this time kissing her son to snap his neck while his guard was down.

"The Force is very demanding when it wants to be. I was the same way with your Mother so do not be ashamed of yourself. As for you Mara Jade, I expect you to keep your lips, and hands to yourself," said Vader, as he saw the red haired woman look away, and his son trying not to look at him either.

Not that he could blame the two. This moment reminded him so much of when he and Padme tried to hide their relationship during the Clone Wars.

(With Leia)

Leia was currently in her quarters with Han, who had no idea what had happened to her, and felt she should lie down before she collapsed again. Chewie was also in the room though it was a bit cramped since all Star Destroyers weren't exactly meant for that of the Wookiee species and was also concerned for the daughter of the Sith Lord.

"What exactly happened?" said Han, as he saw Leia sit up, and rub her forehead.

"Something in the Force I think. It was like an explosion of power, but it was strange in its own way, and it came from within this ship. Anything happen when I fell?" said Leia getting out of the bed she was in.

"Well for one, you weren't the only one to nearly fall over, as your dear old Sith Lord of a dad stumbled, and had to use the wall closest to him for support. After Vader recovered, he left the area, and with a purpose if the stride in his steps was anything to go by," said Han, as he had never seen the Dark Lord move so fast, but then again he had never been around Vader long enough to really measure the various speeds the man could walk, and it was quite intimidating to see how he did that.

"He must have felt it too and went to check it out," said Leia, as she turned when the door opened, and her Father entered the room with what she sensed was a look of concern.

"Are you all right?" said Vader, as he saw nod, and still felt uneasy about him being her Father.

"Yes. Do you know what caused that...that powerful explosion in the Force?" said Leia, as her Father nodded, and then explained it was her twin brother with Mara Jade.

"The Kid and the former Emperor's Hand? Together?! Well that's a strange romance story for ya. Am I right?" said Han, as he let out a chuckle, and knew Luke was never going to live this down.

"It's no more stranger then a Naboo Senator and a Jedi Knight falling in love during the Clone Wars," said Vader, as he left the room, and Leia followed after him after giving Han a glaring look.

"What did I say?" said Han looking at Chewie, who shrugged his massive shoulders, and shook his head at Han's actions.

"Wait! Damn it wait a minute!" said Leia, as she had sensed something from her Father when he spoke before leaving, and wanted to find out what he was talking about.

"What is it?" said Vader, as he tuned to face his daughter, and know what it was she wished to know.

"That last statement you made in my room, it was in connection to you, and my Mother wasn't it?" said Leia wanting an answer from her still distant Father.

"Yes. Our marriage was forbidden because Jedi were not allowed to marry, but I loved, and still love your Mother too much to follow such a stupid rule Up until recently, I had lost all that wished to have, and ever wanted in life regarding a family. Which is why I need your help, as well as Luke's to kill the Emperor when the time is right because he will _never_ allow our family to become whole again, and I would rather be burned nearly to death again before I let him succeed," said Vader, as he turned around, and left a very stunned Leia by his statement to make plans for when he would confront to old Sith Master to kill him.

(Imperial Palace-At the Moment)

Emperor Palpatine was not a man to be surprised by many things in his life, as he had the Dark Side of the Force to help him, and manipulate things in his favor. He had done it during his time as a Senator of the Republic, he had done it since becoming the Emperor of his Empire, and he had done it to make the Jedi become nonexistent with people of the Galaxy remembering them being of something horrible.

However, at this moment in time, the Force was not under his control like it had been before, and the explosion within the Force proved it further. When it happened, the Sith Master felt like he had been thrown back by a Force Push, and far more powerful then the one Jedi Master Yoda gave him 20 years ago in their last battle. Ever since Vader had gotten his hands on his damn child, the influence the Emperor had on the Dark Side of the Force was slowly leaving the old Sith, and even worse was that his hold on Mara Jade had been broken too.

When he first found Mara, the Emperor already knew she had Force potential within her, and wanted to see just how far her skills could go under his teachings. Of course, the man had very little appreciation for the female gender just like he disliked other non human species, and made sure Mara was kept on a short leash. Oh, he made sure the leash in the form of the Dark Side inhibitor system he place on his loyal Hand wasn't noticed, and the only one knowing about it aside from himself was Vader.

The Dark Lord had clearly discovered his female Hand onboard the _Executor _and further sought to disrupt things for him by destroying the system the Emperor had placed within Mara's mind. Short after that happened, the explosion in the Force came, and brought the old Sith Master to a startling revelation that Anakin Skywalker wasn't the Chosen One that the Jedi believed him to be in terms of Force vision Prophecy. Instead, it was the Skywalker _family_, as a _whole_ that would bring balance to the Force, and disrupt his Sith rule over the Galaxy.

Already the signs behind it were clear, as the son had broken the grip the Emperor had over his Father, the Father had helped free Mara from his control, and there was a chance Mara was now aiding them in his destruction. The Emperor knew of Vader's ambition to take the throne from him in order to rule over the Empire and make some changes to it that was the main cause for the Rebellion in the first place.

However, the Emperor had made the Galaxy suffer at his hands through his Empire to have the Rebellion exist after the Separatists were all killed at Vader's hands, and needed to find out who is enemies from within his Empire were. It wasn't easy at first since those that opposed him had changed sides after he was able to arrest some of the members of the Senate who were part of the Petition of 2000 and couldn't go against them just yet until he got more evidence of their traitorous actions towards his Empire. With the help of his..._spy_, the Sith Master learned all the players on the opposing side were in place to fight him in a full scale war for control of the Galaxy, and had kept his Sith Lord too busy to even make an attempt to usurp his rule.

Speaking of his spy...

"Pardon my intrusion my Emperor, buy I have a communication link with someone, who claims to be a Imperial spy among the Rebel's ranks, and wishes to speak personally with you in private," said an Imperial Officer's voice that came out of the Emperor throne.

"Thank you. Send the communication to my throne room," said the Emperor, as he keyed a few button on his throne to make the communication triple encrypted, and difficult to crack even by the most skilled slicer before the distorted image of his spy came into view.

"My Emperor, I bring news from my position within the Rebel's military structure, and that they are following the leads given to them about your 'special project'. Even now they are gathering together to prepare a massive fleet against you and destroy it before it can be completed. However, I am finding they need an extra..._push_ to attack, and I will need to give them that," said the Emperor's spy, as the Sith Master stared at the figure before him, and smiled down at the weakling employed in his service.

"The right push you say? There can be so many things I could use to bait the Rebel scum, but considering what they are going to go after, I think that..._yes_ I will use the only kind of temptation the Rebel's could not resist, and bring them to my new weapon when the time is truly right," said the Emperor, as he began to chuckle evilly, and the idea of what would drive the Rebel's to take the bait for his trap.

"Who my Emperor?" said the spy, as he frowned at the Emperor's words, and response to his own plan.

"Simple my mentally challenged spy. The bait needed to bring the Rebel's to my trap will be none other then..._me_!" said the Emperor seeing his shocked spy looking at him with disbelief.

"Y-You my Emperor? Is that...wise?" said the spy, who cowered now under the old Sith Master's cold soulless eyes, and the voice that came next sent a shiver up the man's spine.

"This is not the first time I have put myself in potential harm to get what I want my spy and I have every intention of making it is not the last. Wait until the Rebel fleet is almost fully assembled before releasing the information about myself attending to my Second Death Stars construction," said the Emperor, as he foresaw the battle, and the destruction his weapon would cause.

It would be glorious. It would be...breathtaking.

"I understand my Emperor," said the spy knowing not to question the Sith Master's actions.

"One more thing my spy. When this war is over and the Rebels are crushed beneath my feet...I have decided to acknowledge you as my son. Do not disappoint me again like you have in the past...General Madine," said the Emperor, as he killed the transmission, and then brought up the design for the Second Death Star.

When this war was over, the Emperor planned to have only _one _true apprentice, who was almost undamaged physically would take the throne from him one day, and it was not going to be his so called _son_.

(_The Executor_-Several Months Later)

Luke smiled at Mara, as he sparred with her with a training saber, and she was smiling back with a sexy smirk that made a grown man's blood burn with a fire that was hard to describe for the young Skywalker. In the time Luke spent on the ship with his Father, the young (now) Sith in training was finding himself enjoying life more, and it helped when being around Mara herself. The two had really hit it off in terms of a relationship after the "kissing incident" that caused an explosion in the Force that nearly made his Father and twin sister collapsed on the steel floor of the Super Star Destroyer.

Han being his usual self, teased Luke almost relentlessly about it, and would have done more had Luke not countered with the smugger being around Leia. Han tried to talk his way out it and being in denial, but the threat of telling Leia that along with telling Vader that the smuggler broke his daughter's heart forced the man to confess to Luke about it. How he really liked Leia, thought she was great, and wanted to be with her _provided_ that Leia felt the same way about him in return.

That and Vader didn't object to any form of relationship before taking Han's head clean off.

Of course, Luke did discuss it with his Father, who took it rather well (just destroying the one room they were in when they talked) though the young Skywalker had to tell Leia through the Force to tell Han to stay away from their Father for a good while. Aside from that, things were good between Han, and Vader since the Sith Lord knew the smuggler wouldn't dare harm his daughter while he along with Luke drew breath.

Speaking of Luke, the young Skywalker had excelled in his training with his Father in the ways of the Force, and in his combat training with the Noghri. Even Mara helped in his training too since there were things the Emperor had taught her that Vader could not do himself due to his cybernetic conditioning. When they weren't training, the two Force Users could be see by some of the ships crew working on some of the star fighters in the docking bay areas, and smiling with love clearly in their eyes.

Leia during these couple of Months when she wasn't around Han, Chewie, or Lando had refreshed herself in the realm of politics with it being in that of the Imperial kind. With the Senate not around anymore, the way the Empire ran the political game changed, and Leia had to relearn it with the change in the field she use to have knowledge of. However, at the same time, the former Imperial Senator had gotten closer to her once estranged Sith Lord of a Father, who opened up to her more about things before being what he was now, and even telling her about how he came to be in this horrible suit. She had been appalled to know that the Emperor had put her Father in such a horrible thing without any kind of anesthetic during the "surgery" after being burned nearly to death after the duel with Obi-wan Kenobi.

When Leia asked outright if her Father loved her birth Mother, the Sith Lord had looked directly into her eyes with his masked ones, and told his daughter that it was his love for Padme that turned him to the Dark Side in the hopes of her living through the pregnancy. Leia was touched to know her Father did love her Mother, even if it meant turning to the Dark Side because of it, and that the effort had taken everything the Sith Lord had wanted in life for the past 20 years in wanting a family to call his own.

The loneliness the Sith Lord had endured for 20 years in the belief of losing everything he had, added to his injuries, which had not healed at all with medical treatments that were out there had taken away any kind of deep seeded hatred Leia had for her Father, and had forgiven him for what he did. It was in this way, Leia could truly bond with her biological Father, and told herself that they would do some more family bonding with Luke when the time came.

The Skywalker family would be united against the Emperor when the time came and with a little help from those close to them.

(A/N: YAY! I updated. Hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter will definitely have action in it that I know you are all itching for at this point. Also, I bet you never saw just _who_ the Emperor's son was. I know it doesn't follow anything currently done, but I wanted to throw you guys a curve ball, and it had to be someone high up in the Rebel Alliance High Command structure. Until next time...PEACE!!!)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8-The Next Step

(A/N: YO! Long time no write for this fic. Hope those of you who waited can forgive me for taking so long. Before I forget, a fellow author Kevinwoopoo wanted me to inform everyone that he is getting out of the writing fan fiction game, _but_ he is willing to lend a hand in terms of weapon ideas you might want to use in your own. So if you have a need for any weapons short of a tactical nuke, reach out to him, and let him know. ENJOY!)

Luke looked out at the Forest Moon of Endor from the his Father's Flagship, as he saw the large structure of the Second Death Star looming off in the distance slowly being built before him, and then to his Father himself currently standing next to him. In the time the Skywalker family spent together, much had changed in terms of the way things were around them, and themselves to be more specific.

For example, the Emperor now knew of Luke being onboard _The Executor_ despite all of Vader's attempts in blocking the Force signature of his son, and daughter from the old Sith Master. While Vader had succeeded with Leia thanks to Luke, the Sith Lord was unable to block Luke's presence like he wished due to his Force presence being too strong to mask, and the Emperor made contact with old apprentice to confirm what was already known. Originally, Vader suspected his so called "Master" would order him to take Luke to the Imperial Palace on Coruscant to further complete his training, but oddly enough, Darth Sidious had told him to keep the boy on the Flagship until further notice, and head to Endor to oversee the construction of the Second Death Star.

Like the first one, which Luke had destroyed, Vader had no love for the second one, and felt it would not bring about the peace the Sith Lord had first desired the Galaxy to have when first becoming a Jedi, and even later on when he fell to the Dark Side of the Force. Instead, the Sith Lord felt it would only inflame the passions of the billions of people to rebel against the Empire, and further cause chaos throughout the Galaxy. When he looked at this "technological terror", which Vader had called it, the man wanted to use the Force to crush the orb into a tiny ball before throwing it into one of the many black holes in the Maw system.

'It was probably for the best I sent Leia to Naboo with Solo and the Wookiee to further train herself in secretly in the ways of the Force. I don't think she has the strength right now to face this horrible monstrosity after what happened with the first one,' thought Vader, as he wondered what Padme would say on this matter, and smile under his mask knowing the passion his later wife would generate if she learned of both world destroying weapons.

"How do you think Leia is doing?" said Luke, as he could sense his Father thinking about Leia, and the woman he loved so much that was the younger man's Mother.

"Hopefully, she is doing well. I dare not contact her since the Emperor trusts me less then he did before discovering your existence on my ship, and will have me removed if he discovers I kept your sister from him," said Vader, which was true due to the anger the old Sith Master generated when he confirmed that Luke was onboard _The Executor_, and had not been told of the event.

"The Emperor's planning something for when he eventually arrives," said Luke, as he knew the Emperor would come here eventually to bend his "new apprentice" to his will, and try to turn him on his own Father.

"I know. That is how he is. Sidious is not a warrior like me son. He schemes, plots, and uses the Dark Side of the Force when absolutely necessary. Deep down, the Emperor was always a coward, and was only saved by me due to my fears of losing your Mother years ago after he lost to Jedi Master Windu," said Vader, as he remembered that day vividly even now, and wondered if Padme would have lived had Master Windu had killed the Emperor then.

"Do you think he knows about Mara?" said Luke, as he was concerned about Mara, and how the Emperor twisted her mind into being his toy.

"Difficult not to considering his connection to her. He knows Jade has been freed from his control by my hands, but not the real reason why, and suspects it is a means to further usurp his rule. It is not uncommon for the Apprentice to eventually rebel against the Sith Master and plan the Master's eventual death in order to become the new Master. It has been like that for 1000 years since the time of Darth Bane when the Rule of Two was first started," said Vader, as he saw Luke nod, and they both knew that Vader had broken that rule in taking his son on as an apprentice.

Though the Emperor would have done the same just to have Luke kill Vader soon after and make the Rule of Two come back into place.

"When do you think the Emperor will arrive?" said Luke, as he knew the only one able to possibly anticipate the Emperors' movements was his Father, and even then the old Sith Master always had an ace up his sleeve that even Vader did not see.

"Not for awhile. There are reports of the Rebels gathering near Sullust and they have yet to fully complete their fleet before a plan to engage us here can begin," said Vader, as it was secretly known that the Rebels knew about the Second Death Star, and were even now planning to destroy it before its completion.

"My friends in Rogue Squadron will be here when that happens," said Luke, as he missed them, and knew they were more loyal to him then the hire ups.

"Hopefully, they will survive through the battle, and accept the offer of joining us when we reshape the Empire into what it should be," said Vader, as he knew good pilots were hard to come by due to the loss of so many during the war, and Rogue Squadron were well known to be some of the best the Rebels had...thanks to his son of course.

"They will. They've gained enough experience to survive without me," said Luke, which was true, as the various skirmishes Rogue Squadron had done were legendary, and earned them enough experience that they could go into battle with without the help of the lost comrade.

Luke could only hope the battle wouldn't take anymore of his friends and hoped an quick end to the war.

(_Home One_- General Madine's Office)

General Madine was looking over the report from his Special Ops team, who had given it to him in regards to the psychological profile of Luke Skywalker, and his bastard Father Darth Vader. It was interesting reading material to say the least, which of course had also been forwarded to the rest of the Alliance Council, and would soon be meeting about him in regards to how to handle the two Force users. Madine hated the Force just as his damn bastard Father, the Emperor had loved to use it, and wanted to see everyone using it to be destroyed.

In Madine's mind, if he couldn't have his Father's approval without it, then those with its power needed to feel his anguish by being removed from the Galaxy entirely, and only let _normal_ beings like himself take care of things. Those with the ability to use power of the Force, whether they be Jedi, or Sith cause untold misery throughout the Galaxy. They were abominations! Such powers should not exist in any sentient being to use regardless of the side the power was used for.

It was unnatural. Period!

'Soon. Soon I will remove all obstacles in my path to become the new Emperor of the Galaxy. All will fall in line when they see how I have removed the Emperor, Vader, his bastard son, and the other Rebel Leaders to thus end the war in one swift stroke,' thought Madine, as he smile at the idea of Galaxy being his when they learned of how he planned everything out so carefully.

Right now, Madine was secretly planning a special strike team to take out Skywalker on his Father's Flagship, which upon being successful would draw the Emperor to Endor ahead of schedule, and thus force the Rebel Leaders to act accordingly before the Sith Master left. With the unexpected attack, the Death Star would be destroyed, the Emperor along with Vader would be killed during the battle, and then a special cell of his most trusted men would be given an order to assassinate the Rebel Leaders during the battle.

In the chaos of the battle, Madine would take control of the operations of the Alliance after their victory, have a double loyal to him prepared to take over for a short time while making a secret trip to Coruscant to prepare to announce his succession to the Imperial throne. By that point, Madine would be keeping his face hidden so no one knew his true identity, and then meet with his double in order to "negotiate" a peaceful end to the war. Madine's double would soon meet a tragic end, and in order to keep others from learning of his double not being him would have the man make a small dying wish to keep the peace between the two sides. The Galaxy would rise behind it with planet after planet joining under his new regime that would appease those on the Rebel side with the return of the Imperial Senate and then focus on the Imperial controlled planets by offering the overseers there positions of power within his own inner circle with teams in place to remove such people should the signs of betrayal reveal itself.

And then Madine would rule over the Galaxy with only minor signs of resistance by all those within Empire, who still wished for it to be turned back into the Old Republic, and would all be put down in a calculating manner.

Again, Madine was looking over a piece of the report his agent sent him, and frowned at part he had paused in his initial reading.

_Based on the analysis of the psychological profile done on Skywalker, the boy has some kind of attachment issues regarding those close to him, and cherishes all those bonds he makes with others. Its possible that the Force makes those bonds stronger, but since very few are able to understand the power Skywalker wields, it is unknown if such power was used to reach out to Vader, and allow the Sith Lord to take him. It is unknown if this has a negative effect in terms of those bonded to Skywalker feeling pain and the man feeling it too. If he does, its most likely sensing something is wrong, but most likely has a means to ignore it given enough control, and move on without difficulty. Again, with their being so little information on the abilities of the Force, or the one using the strange power all observations are merely second hand._

_As for Darth Vader, the man __**seems**__ to care about his son, whether it's in regards to being an apprentice, or that of his actual child is unknown. It is possible that it is both, but due to Darth Vader keeping his private life so secretive it makes determining any kind of an accurate psychological profile on the Sith Lord very difficult if not next tot impossible._

_It is recommended that both Force users be handled at the same time due to their own unique bond, which over time will become increasingly strong, and become unbreakable in the near future._

'What concerns me, is that there is no word of Princess Leia, or Captain Solo for that matter with the _Millennium Falcon _not appearing anywhere that our spy network can pickup. The Noghri we captured only spoke to her, soon after she freed them, and left to take them away from here. The woman clearly has no stomach for what needs to be done to take care of Vader's agents or his bastard son,' thought Madine, as he never liked the politics behind the Alliance, and wished it was run strictly by people like him.

That was going to change.

(Naboo-Theed Palace)

"I wouldn't have believed it unless I had seen it for myself," said the Queen of Naboo, as she looked at the woman before her looking almost like Padme Amidala, and saw the resemblance between them.

"I'm still trying to grasp it myself," said Leia, as she looked at the Queen, and saw time had been cruel even with the attire plus white makeup she wore.

"The people of Naboo were devastated by the loss of your Mother and the fact she was pregnant was equally devastating. We all knew she married, but due to the way things were with the Clone Wars we suspected Padme kept the matter of the husband quiet to protect him, and keep the enemy from wishing to come after her further," said the Queen, as she looked over at Han Solo, his Wookiee copilot Chewbacca, and the group of Noghri with them.

It was the latter of the group that made the Queen a tad nervous since she knew who the Noghri served with fanatical devotion.

Anakin Skywalker.

And his more infamous name...Darth Vader.

"My Father was too. Even now he regrets the event responsible that led up to her death," said Leia, which to various ears listening in on her would think she was talking about Bail Organa, but in reality the Queen knew it was Anakin Skywalker in this case, and what had occurred to cause Padme's death.

"I imagine so. They loved each other very much. I was actually one of the few people, who knew of the marriage because Padme needed me to know when you along with your brother were going to be born, and I could make arrangements for her to retire here. Even though your Father became what he has now, I know he loves your Mother, and during the time I saw him have never met anyone who could love another like he did," said the Queen, as she saw the way Anakin looked at Padme years ago, and knew that man could unleash rage upon anyone threatening his family.

"While I am here, my Father wishes me to train in secret in the ways of the Force, and to be his last hope for the Galaxy should his inevitable confrontation with the Emperor fail," said Leia, as she had wanted to stay, but when her Father explained what sight awaited her at Endor made the former Senator shake uncontrollably, and understood why he had told her to head to Naboo for training.

Before Leia left, he had given her various Force Mediation techniques to learn, as well as the neutral powers she could train with when using the Force, and even the materials to make her own Lightsaber during that time. Luke had told her to be patient when making the weapon, as there was no rush in its creation, which would only cause a problem if she did, and that it was perfectly nature to feel nervous when activating it for the first time after completing it.

"Of course. You can stay at the Naberrie Estate where your Aunt Sola is still living. I think your Grandfather is still there too, but after losing Padme, then his own wife later on has left him very frail mentally, and also very weak physically," said the Queen, as she knew that much about the man, but sadly nothing else due to the seclusion the man took after losing so much, and so soon after each tragedy.

"I've always wanted to meet my Mother's side of the family. Hopefully, they won't hold anything against my Father, and embrace me as family," said Leia, as she didn't know if her Mother's family knew about Anakin Skywalker being Darth Vader, the simple fact their daughter married a Jedi turned Sith, or the facts behind how their eldest child died.

"I'll let her know someone special is coming. I'd be more specific to your Aunt, but in these times, I would rather not risk the Empire's spies learning you're here, and then send assassins here again," said the Queen, which happened before when Jedi tried to escape the purges by coming here, and the Imperial Inquisitors came with the 501st to help kill the previous Queen.

"I understand. It's a good thing Han put the ship some place safe and away from prying eyes. I assure you we will be discreet while being guests on the planet," said Leia while silently thanking the special cloaking device her Father had installed on the _Falcon_ with Han and Chewie watching while the Sith Lord explained how it should go while further giving details on how to fix other parts of the ship while they had been on his Flagship.

Han didn't like Vader on his ship, even less with the Dark Lord of the Sith installing his own devices on it, but the former smuggler had little choice in the matter, and had silently admitted to himself that the man knew his stuff. Plus, the few pointers Vader made about parts of his ship had the _Falcon_ running smoother then it had in several years even before getting involved with Luke, and the old Jedi Obi-wan Kenobi.

So for sake of his ship, health, and being with Leia in the future...Han was going to let his Corellian pride take a backseat this time.

(_Home One_-Alliance Council Conference Room)

"This news is disturbing. Are you sure its accurate?" said Mon Mothma, as she looked at General Madine, and saw him nodding his head to indicate it was.

"Several of my spies I have in the Imperial infrastructure sent this to me shortly after witnessing Skywalker's training with his _Father_. The boy is getting stronger with each passing day and I have no doubt that when the time is right the two of them will go after the Emperor to seize the throne," said Madine, as he specifically made sure the part in the psychological profile about Vader, and Luke forming a strong bond being part of this meeting.

"That is a distinct possibility. Still, one just can't eliminate someone like Skywalker, or his Father for that matter because of their powers," said General Bel Iblis, as had been around during the Clone Wars when the Senate had been intact before the rise of the Empire while seeing how the Jedi, and the Sith later on could use the Force.

"We can at least try. As you know, the Emperor is planning on making this second Death Star to succeed where the first one failed, and aside from a few Star Destroyers has only the energy shield coming from Endor. We can send a special strike team to go after the shield generator on the planet while another one goes after Vader and Skywalker on _The Executor_," said Madine, as he saw some of the members of the Alliance Council look hesitant, and others agreeing with him.

"One cannot simply go after Vader or Skywalker no matter what kind of strike team you wish to send Madine. The Force seems intent on not letting those two meet their end anytime soon. We don't know much about it due to the mythical legends of the Jedi from the Clone Wars, but I've seen enough to know that this power favors those two, and could have serious repercussions should it fail. Personally, I don't like to send good men to their deaths, and even more so when I think this mission is suicide," said Bel Iblis, as he saw Madine scowl at him, and knew the man was not pleased.

"No one asked you for your opinion on the matter Garm. The only reason you were even brought back into the fold was because we lost quite a bit when Skywalker was _rescued_ by his bastard Father and then Princess Leia turn traitor soon after," said Madine, as he made a special note to have his team take out his fellow General out first before going after Mon Mothma.

"Perhaps next time, you won't go around accusing, and torturing Alliance personnel at random simply because you _suspect_ they are guilty. In fact, the only reason _you_ are still here Madine is because you're still considered a competent General, and assist in the means to destroying this second Death Star," said Bel Iblis, as he smirked at Madine's angry red face, and knew Rogue Squadron would too.

Ever since they found out about Luke being tortured by Madine, the elite X-Wing squad had been very angry with Madine, and Wedge had even slugged the General right in the kisser to let the higher in rank Alliance officer know what the Rogues thought of him. It cost Wedge a few days in the cells, but the man thought such an action was well worth its weight since Madine didn't seem to care that about anything except himself, and this ever strange delusion that Force users were an abomination to the Galaxy.

"You say that now, but mark my words Garm, and mark them well. One day, you will see just how right I was about Skywalker, Vader, and every Force user this Galaxy holds," said Madine, as he saw Mon Mothma shake her head at him, and made the General angry at the former Senator.

"I think your prejudice against Force users is unhealthy as it is stupid Madine. The Jedi used the Force to protect the Republic and yet you act like they shouldn't have existed either despite the fact it was because of them on multiple occasions the Republic was able to survive countless problems long before Palpatine was even a Senator," said Bel Iblis, as he saw Madine snarl at him, and made the General wonder where he had seen that facial expression before today.

"A lot of good that did them. They fell anyway regardless of that fact and now we have a serious threat on our hands with Vader helping his son get stronger. We need to remove them before they can remove the Emperor and take control of the Empire," said Madine, as he wanted to instill a sense of fear into them all to have them see things like he did, and officially approve an attack on the Force using family.

"We will deal with that later, but no not until the entire Rebel Fleet can be amassed for such an attack on the Second Death Star, and a plan can be made to remove the energy shield over the station. For all we know, the space station could have communications available to it, and can send out a distress signal to Coruscant before we even have a chance to send a team down to the planet surface," said Admiral Ackbar, as he didn't want to jump the gun on this, and Madine was certainly doing that right now.

The next step needed to be taken with careful steps.

(A/N: YAY! I updated. Again, I'm sorry for taking so long, and I know some of you feared it would put on permanent hiatus. Not going to happen anytime soon. Until next time...PEACE!)


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9-Dark Truths

Mara Jade frowned in frustration, as she had never done this Force exercise position her body was currently in, and wondered how Luke had been able to handle this. Seeing the rock twice the size of her head wavering, Mara redoubled the level of concentration she had on the object, and felt her nimble body wavering.

Before she lost all concentration and collapsed onto the ground before Mara hit it with the frustration this exercise brought.

"Concentrate you must. Clear you mind of all things distracting or collapse again you will," said Yoda seeing the student Vader had sent to him.

It had not been easy to embrace Mara Jade in being a student, as she was too much like Luke in regards to patience, control, and understanding of the Force. Mara however, had told Yoda that she understood more then he realized, and that she needed to become strong enough to help Vader along with Luke to defeat the Emperor. Again, Yoda was hesitant to help the former agent of the Emperor, until the most _unlikely_ of Jedi Masters living on through the Force appeared, and told the dwarf that Mara was key to Luke's future.

Qui-gon Jinn.

The first among many Jedi to fall at the hands of the newly returned Sith appeared before the two, asking Yoda to teach Mara knowing how much a victim she was at the hands of Sidious, and that her potential should not be stunted. So with hesitation, Yoda began the red haired woman's training, and like Luke Skywalker was having some difficulties with the training he had her take.

Though like Skywalker had, Mara soon adapted to the training, and became stronger for it.

"I'm trying to concentrate you old dwarf! The Force is thick with life all around me here. It makes my head feel like I'm swimming in a thick swamp of poodoo," said Mara though considering the planet she was in it didn't seem so far from the truth.

"The Force flows through all living things young Mara Jade. The rocks. The trees. The animals that live in a symbiotic balance with each other on this planet have the Force within them. Concentrate on the task at hand while blocking them out is the key," said Yoda, as he saw the woman blow a strand of red hair away from her eyes, and then try the exercise again.

"How much difficulty did Skywalker have with this exercise?" said Mara, as she began following Yoda's instructions, and trying to keep her mind clear.

"Very difficult it was. Like his Father, strong in the Force Skywalker is, but also lacks the control needed to use it he has, and had little in terms of teaching from Obi-Wan before Vader killed him he did," said Yoda, as he saw Mara was smiling at that, and wondered if there was some kind of playful competition between the two.

"Luke told me as such. I thought Skywalker was just pulling my leg, but I can see now why he had so much trouble, and that one's raw talent in the Force doesn't really help here for someone without the proper control," said Mara she had never felt such raw power before the Emperor until she met Skywalker and could sense the extent of the young blonde man's potential.

It was limitless. It was no wonder the Emperor feared Skywalker's power.

"Yes. Never have I felt such raw power outside of Skywalker's Father in the Force before the boy," said Yoda, as he had sensed what Mara did when Luke was training here, and knew the young man would one day surpass the level Anakin would have been had the former Jedi not been crippled in his duel with Obi-wan.

After what felt like forever for Mara, she descended the many objects around her, and landed on the ground looked at Yoda with gaze that told the once great Jedi Master she needed to ask him a serious question.

"Why didn't the Jedi head back to free Anakin's Mother shortly after he became a Jedi Apprentice?" said Mara, as she had heard the full story from Vader when the Sith Lord told his children about his past, and the loss of his Mother that would be a key moment in his life in the fall to the Dark Side.

"Seek out his Mother young Anakin would have. Could not risk attachments from either of the two. Felt the Jedi did not need such things in our lives we did not," said Yoda, as he sat down on the trunk of fallen tree, and saw Mara frown at the idea.

"But Jedi formed attachments with each other all the time, right? Didn't you treat each other like some kind of family? What's so different about that kind of attachment then what Anakin wanted?" said Mara, as she didn't understand how surrogate family could be less damaging then blood family, and saw the old Jedi Master frown himself.

"Never faced the situation like we did with Anakin Skywalker we had not. Thought that it was in the best interest of the Jedi to keep the two away from the other we did. Wrong it was now I have seen and too little too late it is," said Yoda, as he realized that the loss of family by blood was much more potent then that of surrogates, and wondered if this was one of the failures the Jedi had done when it came to the Chosen One.

"For years, I thought my parents handed me over to the Emperor, and that I was born from parents that were loyal to the Emperor. However, I now think that it was the exact opposite when it comes to my real family, and believe the Emperor robbed me of my family just to make me his tool. It hurt at first when the truth hit me. That my entire life growing up in the Emperor's service was all a lie and everything I had done was nothing more then a means to an end in achieving his goals," said Mara, as she felt anger at that feeling, but it was controlled, and locked away for the appropriate time to unleash it.

When she faced the Emperor with Vader and Skywalker.

"Believe attachments make you stronger I sense in you," said Yoda, as he sensed the same thing in Luke, and Vader when the man was Anakin Skywalker.

"Are you saying it doesn't? Have you ever stopped to wonder why the Jedi's power in the Force weakened during the Emperor's ascension to power? That you cut yourself off from such connections in the ways of attachments that was causing your own power to weaken rather then strengthen it. It was because of the Jedi's _lack_ of compassion that the Dark Side got stronger and I think...may have helped in it getting stronger during the Clone Wars," said Mara, as she saw Yoda close his eyes deep in thought, and saw him nod his head slowly after a few seconds.

"Possible your theory is. Try to cut off all emotions we feel take us to the Dark Side of the Force not realizing that they can be used to further strengthen the Light Side as well," said Yoda, as he saw the woman nodding, and then looking over at the area where the cave Luke went into filled with Dark Side energy.

"That area. Its where that Dark Side cave is that Luke went into, isn't it?" said Mara, as she saw Yoda nod, and wondered what awaited her if she entered the cave.

"Yes. Reveals harsh truths and revelations the cave does. Powerful Dark Side energies live within that cave. Be mindful of what lays in there reveals harsh revelations and harsh truths you will face," said Yoda seeing Mara nod and take her Lightsaber in hand.

'Calm down Mara. You can do this. Luke did and he was only just understanding the Force,' thought Mara, as she entered the cave, and found it to be just like Luke described it.

But the way it felt told her the words Luke used to describe the dark place didn't do it any justice.

"You've returned to me my loyal Hand," said the chilling cruel voice that Mara knew so well the instant she was a few feet into the cave.

The Emperor.

"You're not real. You're just a manifestation of the Dark Side energies this cave has to mess with my mind," said Mara, as she tried to stay calm, but this Emperor before her seemed even more evil, and it was sending chills down to the base of her spine.

"Oh I'm very real my dear. You just don't want to believe I am because of what that so called "Jedi Master' says to the contrary. Make so mistake my dear, I am real, and you are _mine_ to command. _Mine _to control. Just as death bows to my will so do you just as it was always meant to be since you've been in my service," said the Emperor, as he cackled at the woman, and Mara activated her Lightsaber in front of him.

"I'm no longer your Hand. I'm no longer your slave. Whatever I do from now on is of my own freewill," said Mara, as she saw the Emperor's smile turn into that of scowl, and then a snarl before he drew _his_ Lightsaber from within robes of the right arm with the ruby red blade casting an eerie glow within the cave to match her purple one.

"Traitor! No matter. You will know your place before your life here ends my _Hand_," said the Emperor, as he moved with speed, and ruthless efficiency that Mara did not think the real one possess, and just barely countered his moves.

'Since when has the Emperor had such physical strength,' thought Mara, as she used the Lightsaber techniques the Emperor taught her to keep the man from striking her down, and use some others Vader had taught during the time she spent on the _Executor_.

"You've grown strong young Jade. Perhaps I should reconsider having you become my official apprentice. Think about it my Hand. Isn't it what you've always wanted from me. To surpass Vader and take your _rightful place_ at my side? I can make it happen. Just swear your loyalty to me Mara Jade, kill Skywalker, and his traitorous Father to become what you've always wanted. _My_ one true _apprentice_!" said the Emperor grinning at the woman, and saw Mara weakening under the prospect.

'Do I still want that? To be his apprentice? Even though everything he told me was a lie?' thought Mara, as she saw the man grinning, and used the Force to keep the Emperor from reading her thoughts.

"It's no use young Jade. I've sensed your desire deep within you. Swear your loyalty to me and become what you've always wanted," said the Emperor, who deactivated his Lightsaber, and now looked at her with kind eyes.

Eyes with _fake_ kindness.

"No. I don't want anything to do with you. I'd rather die then be your puppet like the on you made Vader to be all these years," said Mara, as she held her ground, and saw the Emperor snarl with rage.

"So you wish to die rather then be my servant? That can be _arranged_!" said the Emperor with his hands now sparking with Sith Lightning at his fingertips.

"No it won't. You're not real and thus can't hurt me. When I face the _real_ you, only then will I let my anger out, and show what I've learned with my new found freedom," said Mara, as she deactivated her Lightsaber, and saw the Emperor looking even more livid.

However, before the Sith could destroy her with Sith Lightning, the image of Darth Sidious, and Emperor to the Galactic Empire vanished from Mara Jade's sight.

She had conquered the cave. Mara Jade had conquered the darkness within herself.

(A/N: Hope you don't mind this is a little sort. Many wondered where Mara was and I realized I cut her out of the last chapter so I decided to fix that with this little filler. Let me know if it meets your standards. Until next time...PEACE!)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10-Balance Restored

The Emperor arrived on the Death Star with a smile on his face, as he descended from the ramp with his Royal Guards flanking him on either side, and saw Darth Vader was there kneeling with his son doing the same. Of course the Emperor wasn't fooled by the show of submissive loyalty by the two raging entities of the Force that alone could blanket the Galaxy in their power, and combined could consume all with it. Every Force sensitive in the Galaxy, whether a Jedi in hiding, or an untrained child could feel their power. The closer the Emperor got, the more his smile grew, as he stared at young Skywalker, and knew _this _Skywalker would be the one to surpass him this time. After so many failures with Maul, Tyrannus, and Vader himself due to his crippled condition it would fall upon Vader's son to continue the Rule of Two.

A rule that Palpatine had to admit, he had been on the edge of since being a Sith Master, as he had Vader, his Hands, Sith Acolytes in key locations throughout the Galaxy, and now young Skywalker kneeling with his Father before him now. There had been so many close calls in losing such potential apprentices, as Maul had fallen to Kenobi, Tyrannus while older then him was still strong in the Dark Side before being skilled by Anakin, and Dooku's own personal assassin Asaji Ventress would have had some potential had she not been killed by Anakin during the Clone Wars. Then there was that one chance with that boy Vader had trained, who went by the name of Starkiller, and had to make a choice all those years ago to fight him or go after Vader. The Emperor had foreseen the alternative had Starkiller gone after Vader and in a way he preferred Vader to Starkiller after seeing how it turned out with his next potential apprentice after Vader being almost as crippled while being slightly weaker then Vader.

The only regret Sidious really had, which was marginal at best, was the fact that Vader's planned death would weaken the Dark Side presence the three of them currently held on the Galaxy. Part him wondered if he should allow Vader to continue living, but have the Sith Lord be on the front lines more while the man's son stayed with him to learn about the Dark Side, and one day become the new Emperor. However, the Rule of Two had forbid such an idea for a reason, as he knew two strong Force Users like those two, _especially _those two given their connection to each other, could easily overthrow him, and thus put the Empire in _their _hands.

The Emperor knew how some of the plans he had for the Empire went against Vader's own, as the crippled man behind the armor only wanted to stabilize the Galaxy, and the Sith Master blamed his old apprentice's late wife for that. Of course, he made sure that the late Senator of Naboo was really dead, and upon learning she was had made him smile. Though in a way, the Emperor wished he could bring her back to life if only to kill her slowly, and in front of Vader just for the fun of it.

Still, the peace loving woman had given his apprentice lots of motivation to fight during the Clone Wars so the Emperor felt the woman deserved _some _form of mercy, and be left alone in death. Besides, it was because of her that Vader's replacement, and one day the future Emperor of the Empire was even possible to have in his grasp.

"Rise my friend. Rise young Skywalker," said the Emperor walking with his cane calmly towards the two and seeing them rise.

"The Death Star will be completed on schedule my Master," said Vader, as he walked beside the Emperor, and his son walking right next to him.

"Yes I know. You have done well Lord Vader. And as for _you _young Skywalker, I have sensed you are becoming quite the powerful Sith under your Father's teachings, and have yet to only reach your full potential," said the Emperor seeing Luke's impassive face while they walked.

"My Father has taught me well your Excellency. Unfortunately, due to his condition, I am unable to learn _everything_ about the Force, and thus I require the teachings of someone able to make that happen," said Luke calmly while sensing the Emperor was pleased with that kind of news.

"Don't worry young Skywalker. I will complete your training since you are more _whole_ then your Father. It's a shame Kenobi died so painlessly when you fought him on the first Death Star my friend. Considering how he left you mutilated to die a burning wreck, I was surprised to learn Kenobi just _vanished_ right into thin air, and little else to further confirm his death," said the Emperor sensing the anger Vader felt for Kenobi.

"His death was more then enough satisfaction for me my Master," said Vader, which is was considering that he had his son, and the old fool could no longer poison the boy's mind.

"Yes. I imagine so. Tell me young Skywalker, what is your take on Kenobi, and how he died? Considering how he lied to you all those years watching over your person, I can only imagine the anger running through your body, and hatred for that liar of a so called Jedi Master," said Sidious, as he saw Luke tense, and a small yet noticeable wave of anger come off the boy.

Not as much as the Emperor liked, but the fact the boy still had anger for Kenobi proved to the Sith Master that Luke was unable to forgive the late Jedi Master.

"What he did was wrong and it was hypocritical of him to lie while trying to keep in a sliver of truth no matter how marginal that sliver of truth," said Luke calmly knowing the Emperor was focusing on his emotions and what he felt for Ben.

"Yes. Jedi were always like that. They say one thing and yet do the opposite when they think no one is looking," said the Emperor simply.

"What of the reports of the Rebel Fleet amassing near Sullust?" said Vader taking the conversation to more pressing matters.

"It is of no consequence. Soon the Rebels will be crushed and the Empire will be truly secure from such annoyances," said the Emperor, as they soon traveled up to the throne room of the Death Star, and the Sith Master took his place there.

"If I were them, I would be planning to send an infiltration team down to the planet in order to take down the shield generator, and do it before the fleet arrived," said Luke, as he had to play the part of the willing servant of the Emperor, and gave his own insight to fighting in this war.

The Emperor laughed hearty at his words and smiled a cruel disgusting smile.

"He is indeed your son Lord Vader. No doubt you came to the same conclusion as well?" said the Emperor seeing Vader nodding his head in agreement.

"That is the only way for the Rebels to successfully get close to the Death Star and have a chance at destroying it my Master," said Vader, as he saw the Emperor agreeing with that assessment, and continued to smile.

"Yes. I have foreseen they are indeed planning a means to get onto the planet's surface to destroy the Shield Generator. How unfortunate for them that I have prepared for this turn of events and they will not succeed," said the Emperor letting out a cruel laugh that was echoing throughout the room.

'That's what you think,' thought Luke while carefully shielding that from the Emperor.

(Endor-Shield Generator)

Had the Rebels been able to send an infiltration team down to the planet's surface at the moment and entered the base housing the Shield Generator to the Death Star they would be surprised to see it was covered with dead bodies of Imperial soldiers. Each one slain with a blade or shot by a blaster with a special assassin style silencer attached to it that would only damage Stormtrooper armor while anything short of that level of protection would be pierced by the shot before hitting flesh.

The source behind the dead Imperials in the complex? The Noghri had been ordered in secret to infiltrate the Shield Generator and dispose of the personnel there before they set explosives in the key places necessary to take down the structure. They were timed for the next few hours, as were the instructions of the son of Vader knowing that the Sith Lord's mind would be probed for any hint of deception by the Emperor during these soon to be crucial hours, and by the time the Rebel group came here their job would be done for them along with possibly taking them with the blast. With any luck, they Rebels that survived would believe the charges they used went off too soon due to being of the black market persuasion, and thus had unknown glitches within the devices.

Such was the nature of deception.

"We must hurry. Son of Vader suspects the Rebels will be here within the next few days," said the Noghri squad leader, as one of his kin had the main system reprogrammed to run automatically without the help of the Imperials they had just killed, and knew there were other creatures on this planet that could cause problems.

"It is done. The system is running on itself thanks to the program son of Vader gave us to upload into it. Neither the Emperor, the Rebels, or the Imperial monitoring this base from within the Death Star," said one of the Noghri working on the system.

Without another word, the Noghri team left the complex as silently as they entered, and not a soul knew of them being there because everyone else...was dead.

(Death Star-Several Days Later)

The Emperor smiled at the demonstration young Skywalker was displaying in using the Force for his own personal amusement and knew that this boy was indeed Vader's son. First, Vader along with his son had demonstrated their Lightsaber skills for the Emperor see just how skilled Skywalker was, and applauded the demonstration then with some of the Inner Circle that accompanied the aged Sith Master to the Death Star agreeing with him. The second demonstration was Luke showing his Force powers that his Father had taught him in using it to lift, push, pull, and crush various objects regardless of the size. The only thing that displeased the Emperor, which was not much, but it was considerable to say the least, was the fact young Skywalker had on natural hand, and could only use Force Lightning with that hand due to Vader taking off the right hand on Bespin.

There was a sense of irony in that little fact regarding Father and son lost their hands to the blade of a Sith Lord.

Still, the Emperor couldn't fault Vader for what he did given the accounts that Lightsaber battles were hard to predict in preventing the loss of a limb much less life, and from what Vader told him of their vicious battle it was clear things spun out of control at the spur of the moment. Had it been both hands, then the Emperor would be more displeased with Vader, but that wasn't the case here, and wasn't about to press things beyond the limits then he already needed to.

The Emperor's musings were interrupted at that point when he sensed a presence coming up the lift to the throne room, which his Royal Guards beside it became silently at the ready, and would take down this person should they be an enemy of the Empire. When the lift stopped, it soon opened to reveal Admiral Piett arriving, as per ordered to by the Emperor should anything of a suspicious nature happen while the fleet was watching over the construction of the Death Star, and it was clear that something did indeed happen.

"Your Excellency," said Piett bowing to the Emperor from the base of the steps leading up to the throne of the Emperor.

"You have news Admiral?" said the Emperor already suspecting what it was.

"Yes your Excellency. A shuttle given one of our older clearance codes had arrived not that long ago requesting to land on the Forest Moon of Endor claiming they had parts along with a technical crew on board. While I cleared them to land after the shield to the Death Star was deactivated, I felt it was suspicious, and wished to report it to you," said Piett hoping his blundering hadn't cost him his life.

"Thank you Piett. You have done well," said the Emperor smiling now knowing that the Rebels sent to destroy the Shield Generator were here and the Rebel Fleet was not that far behind.

"Your Excellency?" said Piett wondering how this action had been good.

"Move the fleet behind Endor out of range of sensors and eyesight. There it will stay _until_ called for," said the Emperor rising and walking down the steps towards the Admiral with Vader along with his son doing the same.

"Yes your Excellency, but what about that shuttle? If they somehow manage to destroy the Shield Generator...," said Piett, but was silenced by the glare the Emperor sent him, and knew it was not wise to continue that sentence.

"I have foreseen this Admiral. Do not worry about the Rebels landing on Endor. I have prepared a trap for them. While my troops deployed to the ground crush the Rebels on Endor, _you_ Admiral will prepare to crush the Rebel Fleet, and finally end this Galactic Civil War," said the Emperor seeing Piett nod in understanding.

"Yes your Excellency," said Piett before bowing to the Sith Master and leaving the throne room.

"Everything is going according to plan my friend," said the Emperor seeing Vader nod and Skywalker did too.

(Rebel Flagship _Home One_)

"Are the teams in position," said Madine reading over the last reports in his office with some of the men he could trust.

"Yes. They were moved into rotation to watch over the other Alliance leaders during the battle. When you give the signal, they'll take down each leader, and make it look like it was the work of Imperial spies turned assassins," said the officer of Captain rank.

"Good. They are not to move until I give the command and not a moment sooner," said Madine, as he saw the Captain leave with the others, and left the man alone in his office for a moment.

They would want him up on the bridge soon before jumping into Hyperspace to Endor so the time to collect his thought would be brief. The events of the Emperor being on the next Death Star had taken everyone, except himself by surprise, but at the same time brought Madine a sudden revelation of sorts, and it made the bastard son of Palpatine show an evil smile _almost _worthy of his Father.

At the moment, the Emperor, Vader, and Skywalker were all on the Death Star awaiting the Rebel Fleet to arrive after the infiltration team was sent to Endor destroyed the Shield Generator. Madine knew his Father had prepared for this, as the Sith Master always did, but there was always a chance that the Rebel team would _succeed_, and allow the Rebel Fleet the chance to destroy the Death Star along with everyone on board.

Including the Emperor, Vader, and Skywalker all in one with Madine being the Supreme Commander of the Alliance that would use the chaos involving the deaths of the other members of Alliance High Command to spirit them towards Coruscant to take over the Imperial Capital to become a Galactic Ruler.

The problem was succeeding in taking down the Shield Generator, which the team sent was more then capable of doing seeing as how they were _his _team, and had provided them information about the back entrance. It was kept from Alliance High Command during the planning stages of this attack by Madine knowing they would want to send the team there rather then the main entrance.

While the team would head there, it wouldn't be on Alliance High Command's orders, and thus give him all the more support of the Alliance when he revealed it was because of him that the Shield Generator was taken down. With the other Alliance leaders dead by that point, no one would know the truth, and thus give Madine further fame within the organization needed to solidify his power here.

All he had to do was sit back and watch them all kill each other before swooping down upon them at their weakest to take control.

_All Alliance High Command are to report to the bridge before preparing for Hyperspace to Endor. I repeat, all Alliance High Command please report to the bridge._

Sighing at the Mon Calamari Cruisers comm. system being designed to relay such forms of communication to all personnel on the ship, Madine left his office, but not before he took the blaster pistol hidden in a small compartment within the desk, and tucked it away for the possible event his plan failed. If his team somehow failed, then the General would just have to do it himself, and take the Galaxy by force.

'Now you'll see Father. Now you'll see one doesn't need that power to become a ruler of the Galaxy,' thought Madine, as he was going to prove his Father wrong, and prove that he was not some weak _thing _to be set aside.

(Death Star-Throne Room)

"Everything has proceeded just as I have foreseen Lord Vader. Young Skywalker here has become one of us and soon the Rebellion will be crushed at last," said the Emperor, as he saw Vader standing beside on his left, and Skywalker on his right.

"Yes my Master. This will be a day long remembered. The end of the Rebellion is finally at hand and will fall just like the Jedi did years ago," said Vader before sensing another key person in this whole affair had managed to just infiltrate the Death Star and smiled under his mask knowing who it was.

"Your Excellency, when the Death Star is completed, which planet will you test the battle station on?" said Luke seeing the Emperor pause in thought.

"Hard to say my young apprentice. There are so many systems I could wipe out with my Death Star and one of them is already destroyed thanks to my first Death Star. Perhaps a insignificant planet no one cares about anymore or a planet run by Hutt gangsters to make them fall in line," said the Emperor leaving the subtle hint of possibly targeting Vader's and Skywalker's home planet.

"It is your Death Star and therefore its your choice my Emperor," said Luke while doing his very best to keep the poor taste it left in his touch from being heard by the Emperor.

Whatever Palpatine was going to say was stopped by the appearance of the Rebel Fleet off in the distance and the Comm. Officer quickly contacted the Emperor to inform of this moments later.

"Come my young apprentice. See the fall of the Rebels. The very people you once fought for and the very same fools who turned on you right after they learned about Lord Vader being your Father," said the Emperor, as he saw his TIE Fighters engaging while the Star Destroyers of the Imperial Fleet came around the planet, and were holding their position per his orders.

For now, they would be watching from the safety of the throne room of the Death Star, and watch the Rebels fight an impossible battle before them.

(_Home One_-Bridge)

"Any word on the shield surrounding the Death Star?" said Mon Mothma, as she saw the battle raging on, and saw the Communications Officer in charge shaking his head no.

"We're being heavily jammed by one of the Star Destroyers among the enemy fleet and can't determine if the shield is gone," said Comm. Officer, as the battle raged outside of the ship, and saw the number of TIE Fighters was nearly overwhelming their own.

"Find that specific Star Destroyer. If we can engage and destroy it we'll know if the team we sent to the planet was able to succeed or not," said Admiral Ackbar, as he directed the battle going on from his position, and missed the look Madine was giving him.

Scanning the room, all of Alliance High Command was here in this one place, but the risk of giving the order to his men to blast everyone on the bridge, which would be too risky right now with him here, and the risk of a breach. For now, Madine would wait until the battle dwindled down, and give the order when the opportunity presented itself.

His thoughts on the matter were interrupted when the Death Star fired its Super Laser at a Frigate a few ships over, which shocked even Madine, as he had no idea the systems on the massive battle station were operational, and suspected the Emperor kept that piece of information from him deliberately.

'Ever the sneaky bastard, aren't you Father,' thought Madine, as he overheard Lando Calrissian telling Admiral Ackbar to continue the fight, or else they'd never get another chance like this ever again.

(Death Star-Throne Room)

"Look at them all my young apprentice. Fighting to survive a losing battle. Its almost admirable. Don't you agree Lord Vader?" said the Emperor seeing the destruction of the Rebel Alliance from the window and another blast from the Super Laser hitting another Rebel ship.

"Yes my Master/your Excellency," said Vader and Luke at the same time before a beep on the Emperor throne indicated a message was coming in from the _Executor_.

"Your Majesty, our sensors indicate the Shield Generator on Endor has been destroyed! It won't be long before the Rebels learn of this and begin their attack on the Death Star's main reactor," said Piett before hearing a hissing noise from the Emperor that was clearly one of anger.

"Tighten the fleet's defensive line around the Death Star. I don't want a single fighter or ship to get through," said the Emperor before killing the transmission.

"Should we have your shuttle prepared just in case my Master?" said Vader calmly, as he saw the Emperor fuming in rage, and knew the Shield Generator being destroyed was _not_ part of the plan.

"No. Not yet," said the Emperor before he sensed something was..._off_ and felt the Force trying to warn him.

"Good," said Luke, as he brought out his Lightsaber, activated the red blade, and moved to strike the Emperor down.

However, the Emperor moved out of the way at the last possible moment using the Force, and Force Pushed Luke down the row of steps before turning to face Lord Vader. The Sith Lord made no move to strike him down, yet made no move to prevent Luke from trying to fight the Emperor again, and it was making Palpatine becoming enraged.

"Your son has betrayed me Lord Vader. Kill him!" said the Emperor, as he saw Vader look at his son standing there at the base of the steps, Lightsaber on ready for a fight, and then turn his head back to him.

"No," said Vader simply seeing Sidious looking at him with even greater anger.

"Traitor!" said the Emperor bringing out his own Lightsaber and Vader ignited his own.

"Isn't that the way of the Sith my Master? Surely, you did not think _I_, or my son for that matter would serve you after all this time," said Vader while Luke walked up the steps to the throne and saw the Emperor looking down briefly at the younger man.

"_I _am the greatest Sith the Galaxy has ever produced. _I _will decide when an apprentice is allowed to take my place. Not you. Not your son. _Me_!" said the Emperor, as he battled Vader with their Lightsabers clashing, and was soon pushed away by the Sith Lord.

"Your powers are weak old one. Your ego here is the only thing stronger then us," said Luke, as he reached the top of the throne, and moved to combat the Emperor with his blade.

"I'll show you who is _weak_!" said the Emperor, as he tried to blast the boy with Force Lightning after leaping back, but Vader was already upon him, and flanking the move with his Lightsaber cutting off the hand.

The Emperor screamed out in pain, as he now knew what Dooku, Vader, and Luke went through in losing one of their limbs to a Lightsaber blade. It was even worse when Vader pressed the attack, which wasn't hard to do given the Emperor's frail body lacked any kind of muscle strength to endure such brutal swings from the Sith Lord's blows, and had soon lost his Lightsaber now landing in young Skywalker's left hand.

"You have lost Sidious. The Prophecy will be fulfilled upon your death," said Vader, as he eyed the defeated Sith Master currently on his knees, and could the intense hatred the old man had for him.

"You can't run the Empire without me Vader. Even with your son, the Rebels will bring about constant unrest, and destruction just to see you fall!" said Sidious, as he saw Vader shake his head in disagreement, and it made the man even angrier.

"I know how to stabilize the Galaxy and the Empire after watching you make it suffer. With my children by my side, the Empire you created will be cast down, and knew form of Galactic government will be put in place. One where the laws are fair, yet firm, and bring about a _true _stability to the Empire itself," said Vader, as he sensed Mara Jade making her presence known after dispatching the Royal Guards during the Emperor's battle with the two Skywalkers.

"Jade. I command you to kill these two. You have the power. I can sense it. Kill them now!" said the Emperor knowing it would give him the opening needed to strike down Vader and his damn child.

"Sorry old man. I don't obey you anymore. I know the truth now behind what you did to me. Do us all here and the Galaxy itself a favor and just die," said Mara, as she pulled out her blaster, and fired several shots at the surprised Sith Master.

And so with just a few blaster shots to his aged body, the infamous Sith Lord Darth Sidious was now dead.

His spirit forever burning in the dark fires of Sith Hell.

Where he belonged.

"It is time to go," said Vader, as he pressed a few keys on the throne, activating the self-destruct sequence, and signaling for the evacuation of the Death Star for all Imperial personnel.

"I agree," said Mara, as she had only been on this damn thing for just a short time, and already she wanted to get off of it.

"Then let us not delay our departure from this place any further," said Vader, as he now walked with a purpose with Luke, and Mara to the lift to head for the hanger bay where their shuttle was ready to depart.

The three of them made their way to the ship Mara had used to get into the Death Star, which was a small, but still somewhat spacious ship not meant for fighting, and more for infiltration. Not surprising given Mara's former profession in being the Emperor's Hand, entering places others could not, and then doing what was required for the assigned task.

(_Home One -_Bridge)

"There is something going on with the enemy fleet Lady Mon Mothma. The Imperial Fleet is moving to disengage us," said a Rebel Officer monitoring the battle, as TIE Fighters were soon called back to their Star Destroyers, and the Star Destroyers preparing for Hyperspace.

"What? Why?" said Mon Mothma frowning at this news.

"We don't know. Wait! I'm getting an encoded message from the Super Star Destroyer saying to get a safe distance from the Death Star as its about to self-destruct!" said the Rebel Officer seeing the looks of confusion on Admiral Ackbar's calamari face.

"It could be a trap," said Madine seeing Mon Mothma frown in thought.

"Do we know who sent the message within the Super Star Destroyer?" said Mon Mothma seeing the Rebel Officer checking the message over.

"No. But whoever sent it has high level clearance onboard," said the Rebel Officer.

"Why would some _Imperial_ tells us to move away from the Death Star? Its some kind of trick. Press forward!" said Madine, as he wanted to take the Death Star, and use it to make the Empire submit.

"No. Its not that. Something is wrong. Are we still being jammed?" said Mon Mothma wondering if this was some kind of trap.

"No. We're check and...the shield is down. Repeat, the shield surrounding the Death Star is down, and the personnel in it are abandoning the station," said the Comm. Officer.

"Something must have happened within the Death Star to cause this action. Pull the fleet back," said Ackbar, as he wasn't going to risk his men, and saw the Imperial Fleet enter Hyperspace.

"What? Why not send a team in, stop the explosion from happening, and take over the Death Star?" said Madine seeing the members of Alliance High Command looking at him with surprised eyes.

"Are you serious? You want to _keep _the Death Star intact? Knowing what it is? What it can do?" said Ackbar, as he saw Madine nod, and it was clear those around him disagreed with the idea.

"Of course! The Death Star is our leverage over the Empire. We can even finish what the Empire started and bring the blade to their throat," said Madine knowing that this was the moment he had been waiting for.

"You've lost your mind. Recall all ships to move safely away from the Death Star and monitor its main reactor for any anomalies," said Mon Mothma, as she turned away from Madine, and missed the angry look on his face.

"Its clear none of you have what it take to do what must be done to win this war," said Madine, as he drew his blaster pistol, and fired at Mon Mothma right into her back while those loyal to him did the same to the other members of Alliance High Command.

However, the blaster fire that came from this had struck the bridge window, causing it to shatter, and massive decompression that locked down the bridge along with the majority of the area around it while emergency control went to the Auxiliary Bridge. Madine like the others in Main Bridge of _Home One _were sent out into space and dying in the dark cold agonizing deathly embrace of space.

(With Vader, Luke, and Mara)

"I sense a shift in the Force," said Luke wondering what it was and knew the two beside him felt it too.

"I sense it too. Its like when we killed Palpatine, but its not as strong, and yet it's potent enough to shift the Force further into balance," said Mara, as she wondered what it truly meant, and wished she could see Vader's face behind the mask to get some kind of idea of what he was thinking.

"Whatever the source behind the shift, it is irrelevant at this point, and the Force has shifted into balance as the Prophecy of the Chosen One was foretold. Once we arrive on Coruscant, I will take control of the Empire with your help, and reign in all its military officials before any of them decide to fight for the throne. After we successfully do that, Leia will come here to assist in the reforming of the Senate, and work out a treaty with the Rebels to call off the fighting," said Vader, as he knew with Leia's natural skills in negotiating inherited by Padme, the Rebels would be willing to listen, and bring about the end to this ridiculous Galactic Civil War.

"We have to quickly kill the rest of the late Emperor's Inner Circle. Some of them are able to use the Force and there are several trained to guard the Emperor's vault. Any one of them could move for the throne," said Mara, as she knew a good deal of knowledge about the Emperor, and was sure some of it involved things even Vader didn't know.

"Agreed. Admiral Piett!" said Vader turning to see his loyal Admiral now standing before him.

"Yes my Lord?" said Piett ready for orders.

"Inform the necessary individuals within the Inner Circle on Coruscant to prepare for my arrival and news regarding the Emperor," said Vader knowing it would get the group ready for him.

And then they would be destroyed.

(Epilogue-Three Years Later)

"Its hard to imagine how things have changed around here," said Leia to Han, as they were living in the very same home her Mother, and Father had lived in when they were married.

"Yeah. Kind of weird if you ask me. I blame all of the Force stuff on your side of the family," said Han from behind and kissing her cheek.

"Just remember nerf herder that its _my _side of the family that gave approval of us being together. You know how my Father was when he gave his blessing that we get married," said Leia seeing Han chuckle nervously.

"How could I forget? I don't need to be Force sensitive to know how angry Vader was that you wanted to marry me. I thought for sure he'd kill me right there on the spot," said Han knowing it was no doubt thanks to Luke and Leia that stayed Vader's throat crushing right hand from doing what it did best.

"At least Father did what he set out to do. Granted its no Republic, but its much better then what the Empire use to be, and is more stable with Father ruling," said Leia, as she had been part of the Imperial Senate, and made its Supreme Chancellor, who would speak to the Senate, and then the Emperor about the way things were running there.

The first year as the new Emperor had been the most challenging for Vader, as there were many throughout the Empire, who weren't pleased with the succession from the late one, and there was the risk of everything collapsing right away. Fortunately, with Alliance High Command destroyed ironically from within, Leia was able to take advantage of the confusion, and work out a ceasefire with them just long enough for Vader to stabilize the Empire under his rule. The necessary "removal" of Palpatine's Inner Circle had been swift and without mercy since any form of it to them would allow resistance to spring up the Skywalker family. By the time things settled down within the Empire, Leia had been able to convince the Rebels to disband, and those within it were given pardons along with key positions within the Empire to show there were no hard feelings. Rogue Squadron was integrated into the Empire with its members occasionally spending time at the Academy to teach the next generation of pilots how to fly. Lando was allowed to return to Bespin to begin his operations their on Cloud City, _but_ with a legitimate contract with the Empire, and _without _an oppressive Imperial Garrison to keep it in line.

Luke had been declared their Father's right hand and Heir to the throne with Mara by his side to one day be the first Empress of the Empire. Mara even helped a well respected smuggler by the name of named Talon Karrde work for the Empire after Vader killed the Black Sun leader Prince Xizor and created quite the information network system to help with the outer rim along with other independent systems like the Hapes Cluster.

"I'd be worried about your old man's heart given his age and the fact he's about to be a Grandfather soon. Twice!" said Han referring to Luke getting Mara pregnant and trying to hide it so it would be a surprise.

"He'll be thrilled. I know it. I'm just glad medical technology has come far enough to heal him of his injuries. I had no idea he was in that much pain and for so long," said Leia, as she saw the report the doctors gave her about the extensive damage her Father suffered for so long, and was glad there was a means to fix them.

Most of them anyway.

"Yeah. Kind of makes you understand why he was so cruel when in that suit. Always in pain with every bit of movement made, never really sleeping, and believing that just about everything you had was lost. Make anyone go crazy. Force or no Force," said Han, as he knew weaker men would have killed themselves, or just died from those injuries.

You had to respect the man on some level for enduring that much pain.

"I could sense his pain leaving him during the surgery needed to heal his body. When he woke up, Father was seemed so..._happy_, and almost completely different from what I had experienced in the past. I think I finally know what Mother saw in him that made her fall in love with Father. I wish I could have known her better," said Leia, as she knew her Father had regretted that day when he Force Choked their Mother, and was still sensitive about the matter.

"Yeah. She must have been really something. Your Father plants a white flower as a small tribute to her by the giant picture in the Imperial Palace. I think he's afraid to visit her grave on Naboo like he's not worthy or something. Maybe one day we can all go as a family and pay our respects. Not to mention visit of your relatives on your Mother's side of the family," said Han seeing Leia smile at the idea.

"That would be nice. Father maybe able to hold off on such an idea if its just me or Luke asking him individually, but if we ask him together I'm sure it will work," said Leia, as she would talk to Luke about it tomorrow, and see if they could convince Vader to agree.

"Just make sure you tell him its _your_ idea. If he finds out its mine I'm doomed," said Han getting an elbow to the ribs.

"No promises nerf herder," said Leia giving him a look that told the former smuggler he was going to take his lumps like a man or _else_!

"Damn! I should have gone with Chewie to see that Yoda guy. According to Luke, he's about to pass away soon, and the fuzz ball wanted to see him one last time," said Han rubbing his ribs.

"Not a chance. Your staying ant that's all there is to it," said Leia giving him a glare worthy of her Father and Han reluctantly caved in.

"All right! All right! I'll stay and take my lumps," said Han wondering if that glare Leia used was inherited from her Father or Mother.

Maybe it was both.

"Good boy. I knew there was a reason I keep you around," said Leia kissing him again.

"On another topic, how is it going with that Ahsoka Tano woman. I know she was a former Jedi and all during the Clone Wars," said Han, as he was surprised Vader had an apprentice during that time, and that very same apprentice survived.

"Good. I sense Ahsoka is a lot like my Father was back when he was considered Anakin Skywalker. In fact, she's called him 'SkyGuy' on more then one occasion, and I think that is her pet name for him. Just like he calls her 'Snips' from time to time. She wants to learn what we are learning from him," said Leia, as she felt something else from the Togruta, and wondered if they went beyond the Master/Student relationship.

"She's good for him. I think they'll hit it off quite well," said Han getting another hit to the ribs by Leia.

"Han! My Father is older then her," said Leia glaring at him again.

"Yeah and from what I understand so was your Mother when they first met. And what about yours truly? Have you forgotten I'm a few years older then you?" said Han hearing the woman in front of him grumble.

"I suppose your right _for once_. I just think its weird to consider her a Stepmother of all things though I don't think that will be the case," said Leia since the two had bonded in a more sisterly fashion.

"Yeah. I think Luke sees her more like that in the parental department because he never really had one growing up while you did. You're content with have her being more of a sister to you, but Luke hasn't, and wants that experience," said Han kissing Leia again.

"For someone without Force abilities or connection you have a lot of insight into these things," said Leia with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey! Its me!" said Han with his scoundrel like smile that Leia loved.

"Yeah. It is you," said Leia kissing him again finding herself content and happy with her life along with the life of her family right now.

All was right with the Galaxy and the Force was back in balance.

Such was the Prophecy of the Chosen One.

-FIN!

(A/N: And there you have it. Finished. Over. Man that was draining. Hope you enjoyed. Until next time...PEACE!)


End file.
